RWBY: Twice the Salem, Double the Grimm
by The Terror of Dimensions
Summary: TD, like the cheeky devil he is, has sent a wolf Faunus to a different Remnant where she meets a Faunus-human hybrid and his friends not long after the attack on Haven. However, TD's prank soon turns into a fight for the survival of both worlds when the two Salems make contact with each other. [A collab with LunaTheBlackWolf. Language warning, courtesy of Luna... mostly]
1. A Potential Friend

**"One two, here we go! Uno, don't ya know?"**

 **If I end up regretting this, I swear I'm gonna murder you... So this is the first chapter of a collab with** ** _LunaTheBlackWolf_** **that I decided to do that involves my RWBY OC, Diego Kapila, and her OC, Luna Greyback. Oh, and my other one, TD... however brief. He's the one speaking in this AN.**

 **"You will hopefully enjoy our work!"**

 **Emphasis on hopefully...**

* * *

"Pardon me, good sirs."

The pair of White Fang soldiers turned around to inquire of who had spoken to them. They were on a secret mission given to them by their leader, and they did not wish to disappoint them. The figure who had spoken to them was a boy of eighteen, with brown hair, a bushy beard, and blue eyes that seemed to be full of mischief. He was wearing red shorts and a red shirt that had the initials "TD" on it. The boy grinned and spoke again.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine, a Faunus to be precise, and I was hoping that you could help me with that."

The guards glared at the boy.

"Get lost!" one of them threatened, pointing his gun at the boy. The boy didn't look at all afraid.

"Please," he stated and lifted his hand. Suddenly, both guards started choking as an invisible weight started to crush their throats. The boy smirked and held up a Scroll that showed the face of a girl on it.

"Now tell me, where would I find this person?" he asked darkly, "And in case you need a name... it's Luna Greyback."

The boy suddenly felt the tip of a cold blade pressing gently against his jugular.

"Put them down", said a familiar feminine voice. The boy could feel those glacier-like eyes glaring at the back of his head. Chuckling, the boy said, "I knew that'd bring you out somehow, Wolfie." He then lowered his hands and the guards fell to the ground. The boy looked them in the eyes and raised a hand in a side-to-side gesture.

"You will forget you ever saw me and leave us be," he said in a hypnotic voice,

The guards were silent, then replied, "We will forget ever seeing you, and leave you be." They then stood to their feet and walked away slowly, as if in a daze. As soon as they were gone, the boy sighed in relief.

"I almost thought I'd be forced to kill them for real," he said.

A distinctive click told the boy that the blade had been retracted back into the girl's weapon.

"And I almost thought I'd be forced to kill you for slaughtering my men", the voice replied. The boy turned to face whom the voice belonged.

Like he expected, the first thing he saw were those glowing ice-blue eyes glaring at him, one eye being covered by grey bangs that shone in the moonlight. Her black cloak covered her form, save for her large, fluffy tail. The girl gripped a black bow-staff at her side, the ice Dust embedded tips fogging slightly.

"Why are you here?" The she-wolf asked, displeasure heavy in her tone. "You're lucky it was me that found you and not Adam. He wouldn't have been as kind."

"And he wouldn't be alive either," the boy replied. "After all, I'm called the Terror of Dimensions for a reason. Or TD, if you'd prefer."

"Yeah, you're starting to terrorize my nerves," she retorted. She folded her arms, impatience clear in her stance. "And you didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

TD gave her an expression of mock hurt.

"What? I can't just say hello to a friend? Last I checked, the closest we got to a friendly get-together was when you walloped my butt in the Chaotic Arena Rumble. Big thanks to you and your author for that, by the way."

"Not here!" Luna glanced around before grabbing the boy's arm. "This area isn't secure. You know a safe place we can talk?" She asked, pulling her hood over her head.

"Right this way," TD stated, leading her towards a nearby club. A bouncer at the door attempted to stop them, but another hand gesture from TD made him change his mind. Inside, TD brought Luna over to a table that was reasonably secluded from the rest of the place.

"I know the manager here," he said casually, "He won't dare to cross us. Because if he does... let's just say he'll be out business permanently."

"You sound like a comic-book villain," said the Faunus, removing her hood. "And I told you before, if you ever needed to contact me not to come to any of the bases I was stationed at! Adam is already suspicious of me, and I don't need you blowing my cover!"

"That was you?" TD asked in genuine confusion. "I thought that was a different Luna trying to get back at me for changing the night to day, and vice versa. My apologies."

Luna face-palmed, shaking her head. "By the Gods, do you pay attention to anything?"

"That's a good question to ask," TD replied. "So, the real reason I wanted to talk to you is because I wanted to see something for myself. But first, how good of a warrior would you say you are? On a scale of 'Noob' to 'None rival me?'"

"Please tell me you're joking," the Faunus rubbed her temples in irritation. "You risked blowing my cover for this?!"

TD's silence and unchanged expression was answer enough. Luna sighed.

"I'm not the best, but I'm not a pushover either. Maybe a 7 or 8. You happy now?"

"Very," TD stated, "Now, how would you like to visit another Remnant, different from your own? No one will notice that you're gone, and it may allow you to meet some new faces."

The young wolf raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What exactly do you mean by 'another Remnant'? This is the only one! And aside from that, what do you mean no one will notice I'm gone? That makes no sense! Sounds like you're talking about time travel or something!"

TD chuckled. "There's so much that you can't possibly fathom, Luna Greyback. Allow me to show you what I meant..."

Before she could protest further, TD shouted, "Alakazoo!" and she disappeared in a puff of smoke. All around him, the entire club stopped as if someone had hit pause on a video. TD smirked.

"THAT is what I meant."

* * *

Diego Kapila fired away at several targets set up in the forest he was rushing through. Even though he knew he wouldn't miss a single target, he wanted to do something that would distract him from the things on his mind. Besides, there was always a first time for everything, and it could possibly be missing his targets. Diego leaped over a stump as he approached the final target and aimed carefully. He squeezed the trigger... and then stopped himself just in time as a portal opened in front of him and dropped out a female figure in front of him.

* * *

Luna felt a snarl threatening to rip from her throat while she spit unwanted dirt out of her mouth.

 _How do I keep getting myself into these situations with that guys?!_

As she rose off the ground, she saw movement in her peripheral vision, along with a glimmer from metal. Not taking chances, she drew Solstice as she spun to face this new opponent.

"Drop it, now!" She ordered, tail swaying behind her in a cautious manner.

The figure in question simply stared at her with a revolver pointed at her. But after a few seconds, he put it away and stepped closer. Now that she could see him better, Luna noticed his features distinctly. He looked around eighteen with blue eyes that held a sense of mischievousness, but also pain. A red and black cloak or cape was over his outfit, which seemed to be some kind of outfit a rouge would wear. The boy looked to her more fully, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "I almost blasted a hole in your face. How'd you get here?"

Luma didn't lower her weapon, and kept her icy eyes trained on him for any possible signs of attack.

"Still trying to figure that out myself. Who are you? And in addition, just where are we?"

The boy smiled a bit and introduced himself. "Diego Kapila, the Dancing Rogue. This is one of my many hangout places, specifically just some ways outside of Haven. May I ask, who are you?"

Not feeling a threat from the boy, Luna lowered her gun and holstered it to the mag-plate on her right thigh. Still not tearing her watchful gaze from the newcomer, she walked up to him and offered her hand.

"Luna Greyback, operative of the White Fang. A pleasure." Now that she was closer, she noticed very small scales covering his eyes. She almost mistook the ones around them for freckles from afar. Another Faunus. Diego gave her a look.

"White Fang, huh?" He smirked. "And I thought Adam had gathered up the stragglers by now. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but... the White Fang and I aren't on good terms. Especially since they attacked both Beacon and Haven, and attempted to kill my friends. Twice."

The she-wolf narrowed her eyes. "Clearly, you didn't hear me. I'm with the White Fang, not those terrorists. Do you see a Grimm mask on me?"

Remembering her unfamiliar surroundings, the Faunus glanced around before looking at Diego once more.

"This area is secure, yes?" He nodded. "If you want specifics, I work undercover for the White Fang to find out possible ways we can take down the terrorist splinter group. And what do you mean they've attacked both Beacon and Haven? I've only recently heard about plans of them invading Vale." She asked, confusion written all over her face.

"What are you talking about?" Diego demanded, "They've already done the inva- wait a minute." He looked away from her for a second, then groaned and looked back to her.

"I thought that portal looked familiar. You wouldn't happen to know an all-powerful entity who goes by the name 'TD,' would you?"

"Yeah, he's an all-powerful pain in my ass. Wait," she paused. "How do you know him?"

Diego sighed. "I had a run in with him, when he dragged my world and several others into a fight for our very existence. The only good thing I got out of that was making new friends and the fact that he didn't do it willingly. I'm willing to bet that he has essentially dragged you out of your world and time, and into my own."

Luna groaned, rubbing her temples.

"That idiot...", she mumbled to herself. "Well then, do you mind filling me in on what's happened? If what you say is true, I must be much further ahead in time than my own world, if Haven was hit as well."

"Well, what can I tell you?" Diego thought aloud. "Let's see... Beacon has fallen, Pyrrha is dead, Blake is taking back the White Fang, Cinder is presumably dead, Ozpin is reincarnated into the body of a child, and Yang..." He stopped at Yang for a second. "My beautiful Goldilocks lost her arm to that monster, Adam. Her robotic arm may help, but the scars still remain."

The she-wolf held her hands up. "Okay, hang on. I only recognized three names. You're referring to Blake Belladonna, I presume? The deserter? I've seen her a few times in the past, but we've never interacted or spoken to one another. And, I'm sorry this Yang had the misfortune of crossing paths with Adam. As for Ozpin, what do you mean he's 'reincarnated?' That's impossible."

This was starting to become overwhelming for the silver wolf. She was unsure what to think of all of this new information.

Diego chuckled. "Why don't you come with me? The rest of the group could probably explain better. Besides, it's not as safe here as you'd think. I wouldn't be surprised if some Grimm are in the area."

"I'm not worried about Grimm. And how do I know I can trust you, or these friends of yours?" She asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

Diego looked to her and smiled. "You're a smart one, Miss Greyback. How about this? I could've held you at gunpoint back there, and hearing that you were with the White Fang, I could've attacked you if I desired. But if you want to be extra sure, just know that I am not the kind who will stab you in the back." He looked at the ground and finished. "I know how that feels all too well."

He seemed sincere, but she had run across many snakes in her life. And she wasn't gonna let another one lower her guard and get its coils around her. Still...

"You get ONE benefit of the doubt," she stated, holding up a single digit for emphasis. "But if I find out you're bullshitting me, I will show you a whole other level of Hell."

Diego raised a brow when her fists faintly emitted a black mist as she said this, only for the mist to disappear as quickly as it appeared.

"I get the picture," he stated, "Follow me, please."

Diego led the way through the forest, past several targets with holes in them, until they finally found themselves at the edge of the forest. They were standing on the edge of a cliff and below them was Haven.

"I'm only half Faunus, by the way," Diego said out of the blue, "My father was human, my mother a Copperhead Viper Faunus. Hard to tell for most, but it seems that other Faunus are the only ones that ever seem to notice my Faunus traits."

The she-wolf's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Really?" she asked in wonder. "Meeting new Faunus species was one pro to spying on that splinter group. Mammalians were the most common, followed shortly by Reptiles and Amphibians. After that were few Aquatics, and even fewer Avian types. But hybrids," she continued. "I've only had the privilege of meeting less than a dozen in my lifetime. Just standing in the vicinity of one is enough to give me hope. Hope that there is a future for Faunus and Humans to live among each other in harmony."

"That makes two of us," Diego said, "My ancestors, parents included, believed in that hope long before the White Fang was even a thing. I'm proud to say that I too follow that dream. Sadly, it seems that even now the steps towards that are too slow and gradual." He looked out at the city below. "And on top of that, there are far worst dangers to worry about, ones that the public eye knows little to nothing about."

"You have to admit though, things have progressed a lot faster since Sienna Khan became High Leader. I don't fully support her methods, but what she fights for I can get behind," Luna added. "And just how worse are these dangers you speak of?"

"Like 'end of the world' kind of worst," Diego stated, "And, hate to break it to you, but in this world Sienna Khan has been killed. By Adam, no less. He's now running the whole operation, and what's worse is that he's sided with my... former associates that are a part of the bigger danger."

Anguish filled the silver wolf's gut as she processes this new information. Then anger replaced that as she clenched her fists. "That bastard..." she said through grit teeth. "When I find him, may the Brothers have mercy on his soul." Her large tail swished wildly behind her. She suddenly remembered what he had just said.

"Are your friends aware of your relations with those behind this supposed, up-coming Armageddon?" She questioned, suspicion returning.

Diego sighed. "Ozpin knew from the very beginning, even tried to warn me about them. The rest of my friends... they learned when I finally spilled the beans to them. Of course, that was after the fall of Beacon. They took it... surprisingly well considering their personalities... as well as what I became as a result of my foolishness."

 _What he became?_ she thought quietly. _He makes it sound like he's some kind of monster or something. Well then, anyways..._

"How much further?" Luna asked, changing the subject. "And anything concerning I need to know about any of them?"

"Well, considering what the White Fang have done in this world, you might as well come clean with them and tell them the truth," Diego stated, "You're from a different Remnant, where you work undercover among the ranks of the White Fang. They'll believe you, especially Ozpin."

She nodded. "Very well then. And as for my first question?"

Diego smiled. "Not too far. We're held up in that hotel over there." He pointed to a hotel resort in the distance. It was roughly within range of their ranged weapons.

"Lead the way then."

They continued walking in silence after that. As they neared the doorway of the hotel, Luna suddenly said, "Oh, I forgot to ask. What is the Headmaster of Beacon's role in all of this?"

Diego looked to her. "Long story short: he's essentially the one who's been trying to stop the 'greater danger' since the beginning of time. Immortality curse, in a sense. I don't have that, but what I have is just about as bad."

She gave a humorous 'hmph'. "No offense or anything, but you sound crazier with every question I ask."

"To be honest, sometimes I think that I am crazy," Diego replied, "It's a mystery that I have yet to solve."

He walked with Luna into the building and then to the door of the room his friends were staying. He knocked on it a few times and waited. Soon, the door opened and a red blur tackled him, almost making him fall to the ground. It turned out to be a little girl.

"Diego's back!" the girl shouted joyously. Diego just chuckled and returned the hug the girl was giving him.

"Hey there, Ruby," he said, ruffling her hair a bit, "Did you miss me?"

"We sure did!" she stated. She then released him and looked to Luna. "Who's your friend?"

The girl's age was surprising. She looked only a few years younger than her and Diego. As was her energy, Luna could practically feel it in waves emitting from the girl. But what surprised her the most was the girl's unusual eye color.

Silver.

She had seen eyes of nearly every hue of gray in her travels. But this? This was extraordinary to say the least! The girl's irises actually looked like two orbs of the valuable metal. She then remembered the girl had spoken to her, and cleared her throat.

"Luna Greyback. And, Ruby, I believe it was?"

"Yep. Pleased to meet you!" Ruby said kindly, shaking her hand. "Come on in! Ren's about to cook dinner."

Diego smiled. "Lead the way, Red Riding Hood."

Ruby giggled at the pet name and led them indoors. Following behind, Luna leaned close to Diego and lowered her voice.

"Did someone leave sugar where she could reach it or something? I think she has enough energy to run the entire Kingdom!"

"Don't worry about Ruby," Diego answered with a chuckle, "She just likes meeting new people and she has a very childlike innocence to many things. Just a heads up, she will most definitely want to talk about your weapon and she'll even show you her own."

"Duly noted." She could live with that. Hell, she was a sucker for weapons, too, if she was being honest. She didn't get quite as excited as Ruby, though. Following the trail of rose petals, they entered what appeared to be a kitchen and living room all-in-one. And surprisingly, more people than she had expected. There was at least eight other people in the room, half of which were Faunus. They were all in the middle of some conversation, but when they noticed Diego, the majority jumped to their feet and with a cry of "Diego!" they gathered around him for a group hug.

"Hey guys," he said to them, "I really missed ya." He then looked around. "Where's Yang?"

"I think she's out on Bumble Bee," a Faunus boy stated. He had a monkey tail and blonde hair. Diego looked to him and smirked.

"Or she's trying to sneak up on me."

Faster than lightning, Diego turned around just in time to block a punch thrown by the blonde haired girl in question. He clashed with her fist for a moment, which happened to be a metal one. She suddenly gave him a kiss, startling him enough to land a blow that sent him flying across the room. He sat up and chuckled.

"No fair Yang," he laughed, "You learned that one from me, didn't you?"

"You know it," she replied, helping him to his feet. She then gave him a hug of her own that he returned as quickly, but it was different from the others that had been given to him. More... emotional.

 _Ah, so this must be Goldilocks. Seems like an appropriate nickname_ , she observed in her head. Sure enough, the blonde's mane of hair was nearly identical in color to molten gold.

The hug lasted a little longer than necessary, so she cleared her throat to regain the Rogue's attention.

"Didn't think you were this popular, Diego."

Her words caught the attention of everyone in the room, especially Yang. Luna saw a shift in the blonde's purple eyes as she scanned her up-and-down.

 _Oh Brothers above, please don't let this be another one who gets intimidated by other attractive females near their boyfriends..._

And she wasn't full of herself, she was just aware. Luna was aware she was attractive, but that didn't mean anything. That didn't define her. Plus, she had respect for other people's relationships. Diego seemed to notice this and chuckled.

"No need for jealousy Yang. She's an unintended stowaway I met in the woods today from another world."

"What?" Yang asked, while everyone looked just as confused.

"Yep," Diego stated, "And guess who her here?"

The group looked around for a moment at each other, then Neptune (of all people) spoke up.

"TD?"

"Bullseye!" Diego congratulated.

"Seriously?" Blake asked, looking to Luna.

Luna face-palmed. "I wanted to say I'm surprised, but I'm not. Is there a universe that idiot hasn't invaded?" She sighed and continued speaking, "Idiots aside, yes. I'm not from this world, nor this time to be specific."

Looking at Blake, she was surprised to see the girl's cat ears exposed.

"Forgive my forwardness, but I'm glad to see you finally ditched that stupid bow," the wolf Faunus commented, offering what she hoped was a friendly smile.

Blake smiled a little. "I decided that I was done with hiding what I am from the world." She looked to Diego. "He decided to stop hiding as well, but not until after Beacon."

"For the record, I never was hiding what I was, Kitten," he replied, "Unless you count the... other side of me."

"Well, before we get into any possibly emotionally-scarring backstories, I think introductions are required. So to start, I'm Luna Greyback. Back in my Remnant, I was an operative and undercover spy for the White Fang." She noticed a few eyes widen before narrowing, "And before any of you ask, I'm not referring to those terrorists that follow Adam Taurus. Speaking of whom," she turned her attention back to Blake. "In my world, I only knew you as his trainee and partner before you deserted. You and I had never interacted or spoken, until today."

Luna was truthfully uncertain of what became of the cat Faunus after she deserted.

"I haven't heard anything about you since you left. But knowing your skill and stubborness," she chuckled at this. "I had a feeling you would be okay."

Blake smiled a little wider, then Ren came into the room with some bowls full of a steaming soup. He looked to Luna apologetically.

"We didn't expect visitors, so we're one bowl short," he said.

"She can have my bowl," Diego said, "I already ate some ways back on my way here."

"What did you eat?" Weiss asked, "There's no stops for miles."

Diego looked around. "I... think it's best not to-"

The group suddenly seemed to realize what he was saying and didn't pester further.

"Still a touchy subject, huh?" Qrow asked, taking a swig from his bottle.

"Well, it's kinda hard to take in the fact that one of your friends is a Grimm at times," Diego stated, "And for once, PLEASE stop drinking! You're going to destroy your brain cells... if there's any even left."

The wolf faunus took an empty seat on the sofa, and gave her nod of thanks when the long-haired boy placed Diego's bowl in front of her. It smelled delectable. She then turned her attention back to the group.

"Well as I said, before we get into sad stories, I believe introductions are needed."

Ruby started with herself and her team, pointing them out as she went.

"You know my name already, but I'll say it again. I'm Ruby Rose. That's my big sister Yang, Weiss, and you already know Blake to some extent. We make up Team RWBY."

Just then, a girl even more hyper than Ruby jumped in front of Luna.

"Hi! I'm Nora! That's Ren and Jaune, and we're part of Team JNPR! Minus one member..."

Diego gave her a slight glare at that and pulled her away from Luna's face, then sighed and introduced the rest.

"That drunkard on the sofa is Ruby's Uncle Qrow, those two are Blake's parents, the Faunus over there is Sun, the other is Ilia who is a former follower of Adam's, and..." He turned to Qrow. "Where's Oz? Or more appropriately, the kid he's infesting?"

"He's still asleep," Ruby said to him. "The training today was a bit exhausting."

"Gotcha," Diego nodded.

"A pleasure to meet you all," she said with a smile. She then turned to the large panther Faunus across the room. She briefly bowed her head with respect.

"Mr Belladonna, it is an honor to finally meet you. High Leader Khan spoke very highly of you, sir. I was greatly disturbed to hear of her departure from this world..." Sadness just barely crept into her tone.

"As were we when the news came to us," he answered her, "It's a shame that Adam has so much influence over the White Fang. But we plan to take it back from him someday." He smiled. "You're lucky that it was Diego that found you. The rest of us probably wouldn't have been as welcoming to hear that you work among the White Fang."

"I like to give some people the benefit of a doubt, cousin," Diego replied.

"And I'm grateful for that," Luna replied. She looked back at Diego, "Now then, I believe you were going to explain to me what has happened in the...past year, I believe?"

In the span of the next 2 hours, the group had informed her of the many tragedies, as well as victories, that had occurred in their time. She learned of the disaster now known as the Fall of Beacon. She learned why Team JNPR was now only a team of three. The stories of the Maidens were true, and that the Headmaster of Beacon was the one to grant them their powers. The Grimm having a queen known as Salem. The betrayal of both Leonardo Lionheart, Haven's Headmaster, and Raven Branwen, Yang's long-lost mother. The uncertain fate of Cinder Fall, the Fall Maiden.

And now, they planned to soon leave Mistral and begin their journey to Atlas. Carrying with them an artifact she long believed to be mythical: The Relic of Knowledge.

"I assume that, in general terms of events, that basically explains things in full to you?" Diego inquired. He was sitting beside Yang on the sofa, having kicked Qrow off after some minor difficulties.

Luna nodded while swallowing a knot that had formed in her throat. Her mind was racing at a million miles a minute. It all sounded so crazy, yet...well what reason did they have to make it up? Diego was right earlier...the world was surely on its way to possibly ending.

 _Why did TD send me here? Does he think I can help?_ she thought to herself. _How could I? From what they told me, we may as well be going up against the God of Darkness himself! How does one stop a god from taking over the world!? It sounds impossible...so then what would be the point of even trying?_

Luna's heart skipped a beat at the dark thought. She had never doubted trying in her entire life.

 _But should we? From what they've told me, Ozpin has been battling this Salem for thousands of years, and has been met with the same results! Failure! Well, there is Ruby..._

They had given her a brief rundown of the legend behind the Silver-Eyed Warriors, how Ruby is now the last known in existence. The last one being her late mother, Summer Rose.

 _But if Summer couldn't help stop Salem, how could Ruby? She's still very young, and she has no one who could possibly teach her how to control the power of her eyes. And then there's the Maidens. Two of them are safe, yes, but the uncertainty of the Fall Maiden's fate could change that. And then there's the disappearance of Raven._

All Yang had said was that she was able to convince her mother to let her take the Relic, and then Raven flew into a portal and was gone.

 _Qrow suspects where she could be now, but part of him highly doubts it. He didn't specify. All of this, and they still hope to win? How...?_

It was overwhelming for Luna. She thought taking down the splinter group inside the White Fang would be the worst of her problems...by the Gods, was she so wrong! And yet...

'I have to try.' She thought with finality. 'If TD sent me here to help, he must believe I could somehow make a difference in this game of chess. He's a pain in my tail, but...if he believes in me this much, then maybe there is hope.'

"I just have one question," she finally spoke. "What's our next move? If Atlas has closed off its borders, how do you hope to get to the Relic of Creation?"

Diego looked around at the group, then back to Luna.

"We're not exactly sure at the moment," he explained, and then added, "Plus, Rooster Teeth has yet to put up a new episode."

Most of the group looked at him in confusion when he said that. The silver wolf resisted the urge to growl.

 _Great, another wall-breaker. Just what I need._

She then noticed the darkness outside the window, "Well then, hopefully a few hours of sleep will help us think of something."

As soon as she said it, she received a few yawns in agreement. Which then triggered a yawn of her own.

 _Gods above, those things are contagious!_

 **That night...**

Diego apparently didn't sleep much, because when Luna woke by chance that night, he was still up and about. He moved through the house so silently, he might as well have been a ghost. Stopping only to give a sleeping Ruby a kiss on the forehead, he walked out onto the balcony of their rooms and looked out at the moon.

Her footsteps were silent, but he knew she was there.

"Can't sleep either?" Luna asked, standing beside him and leaning on the balcony railing. Diego glanced at her to his right.

Her usual cloak and attire had been switched for a borrowed pair of shorts and a t-shirt, both black. Her hair and tail gave off an eerie glow under the moonlight. And her intense, glacier-like eyes seemed to have a similar effect. It was, admittedly, a mesmerising sight.

Diego chuckled. "I know I'm already taken, but I can understand why any girl would be jealous to see you around their boyfriend."

"Thanks, I guess," she said with a tired sigh. "She has no reason to be, though. I'm not one to move in on someone else's significant other. And even if that weren't the case," she chuckled softly. "Don't get me wrong, you're cute, along with a great personality. But you're not my type."

Diego laughed softly, then sighed and looked out at the moon again. A saddened expression crossed his face and he seemed to be thinking about something. Luna also turned her head to gaze up at the shattered moon. She sometimes wondered what it would look like whole, but at the same time, she found its half-destroyed form oddly symbolic. She spoke without moving her eyes from the moon.

"Thinking about your 'former associates'?" she asked.

Diego sighed. "My associates, Salem, even my past. It's hard to let go, and I fear that I may still be too attached to- no, you'd think I was crazy to have ever tried."

"Well, I already think you're crazy, so..." She turned to face him, still leaning against the railing. "Little story before bed sounds like a good idea, yeah?" Her tail swayed gently while she waited patiently.

Diego managed a smile, then spoke.

"I was once with Salem's gang. Helped them create some of the methods they use against us. Even had a bit of a... relationship with Salem. Crazy, I know."

She gave her head a quick shake in disbelief, before opening her eyes wide.

"Oh no, you're beyond crazy now. You, my friend, need to be admitted," she said with a good-humored shove. She hummed in thought, then looked at him again, "I never been with a Grimm before, what's that like?"

Ironically, a wolfish grin stretched across her lips.

Diego smiled slightly. "She actually wasn't that bad. Or at least while I was around. We had something special... but we threw away the chance of a future together when she killed my 'fiance'." Noticing Luna's confused expression, he explained, "A Faunus. She was my fiance according to her father, but not to me and her. Her father was one who believed in more... traditional ways to choose a husband. So in other words, she didn't have a say in the matter. I was sympathetic to her for that, so I offered to keep the guise up and pretend to be her betrothed, while in truth I simply used it as an excuse to keep other unwanted suitors away from her. She saw me as a big brother, and I saw her as my little sister. We were both... young back then. I believe I was around sixteen and she just a year younger."

A soft growl rumbled in her throat.

"People still do that shit?", she muttered incredulously. She took a quick deep breath to suppress her rising anger. "If it's not rude of me to ask, do you know why she killed her?"

Diego sighed and lost his smile. "Salem had her Grimm attack a village, one which my 'fiance' was residing in at the time. She happened to be one of the many caught in the crossfires. I know now that Salem had not intended her death... but at the time, I was too grief stricken and too enraged to listen. I... forced her to leave me. I sent her away, screaming in the night. Her, the very definition of fear."

Diego grimaced when he said this and seemed to be trying to hold something back. Fro a brief moment, his eyes glowed with a sickly color, then returned to normal.

"Damn..." she said, "Well, Diego, I've heard of many strange relationships in my lifetime. But you've officially taken the cake, and thrown it in my face," she said smiling, hoping a humorous tactic would help to lighten the mood. And then, cool as a cucumber, she simply asked, "Do your friends know you're part Grimm? Or at least have similar powers to the Queen?"

"They do now," Diego said, "But I remember during the attack on Beacon... it was hard to keep it from coming out. There was so much fear in the air... it almost made me go feral. As for Salem's powers..." He looked at his hands, "I possess every power at her command, thanks to my Semblance. My turning into a Grimm... I guess it was my aura reacting to the presence of her powers, giving me a form that would keep me from killing myself for possessing them."

"What exactly is your semblance? Can you like, mimic other people's semblance or something?" she asked.

"I guess you can say that," he answered, "It's called the Inherited Semblance, a Semblance that can only ever be achieved through a blood inheritance to the original wielder. I... am the first of my family in more than one hundred years to possess it, as well as the longest bearer of it. With it, I can copy the powers of the Maidens or another's Semblance... even the powers of Salem. I can then summon the powers I've copied and use it against my foes. However, with very few exceptions, it comes at the cost of temporarily disabling my aura, making me vulnerable." He chuckled, "Thankfully, I can survive blows that would normally kill a Huntsman or Huntress, with or without their aura." He looked to Luna sheepishly. "I make it sound like I'm old, don't I?"

"Yeah, crazy old man," she laughed. But then, her face turned stoic again, as if she remembered something dark. "You mind if I ask you something serious?"

"Might as well," Diego said, "I've seen the Great War to its end, so I think I can take it."

She looked back at him, her blue eyes locked with his own. "Just how much do you trust Ozpin?"

Diego sighed again. "I trust that his heart is in the right place, but I do not support many of his methods. I understand that he feels like his actions are for the greater good, but I do not like the way he goes about his work. Especially in regards to the Huntsmen and Huntresses not knowing exactly what they are fighting. That's why I never became a Huntsman myself. I'm just a rogue, fighting on the opposite side of the law, working in the dark to protect the light." He looked to Luna. "Oz is my friend in some regards, but I'd like to think of him as a misguided friend."

Luna nodded in understanding. "I don't know what it is, but something about him just doesn't feel right to me. And I'm not just talking about the fact that he's probably hundreds of souls crammed into one body," she retorted. "I want to believe he's genuine, but something just doesn't sit right. And my instincts have never let me down before. I wouldn't have survived as long as I have if otherwise."

A small, nostalgic smile crossed her face. "You know, I almost became a Huntress, once upon a time."

"Really?" Diego smirked, "What made you almost try it?"

Luna chuckled, "Started out when I was just a kid. I'm a little like Blake, I was basically born into the White Fang. I don't remember a time when I was ever not part of it. I remember one day, when I was still small, my parents and I were part of a protest against a grocery store that refused service or employment to Faunus. The bad thing was, that store was near an area where Grimm were commonly sighted in Mistral. The humans that were shouting at us to 'go back where we came from', and all that negativity inevitably led a small pack of Beowolves right to us. It was only three, but that was too many for any of us. Luckily, there was a Huntsman nearby who took care of them before anyone got hurt. I wanted to be just like that. So I told myself that one day, I would go to one of the Huntsman Academies, and do my part that way; I can help give Faunus equal rights, and also protect all from the creatures of Grimm. Two birds with one stone."

She gulped before continuing, "My parents weren't what you would call poor, but we weren't exactly swimming in diamonds either. All I had for a weapon back then was a stick of bamboo, so I used that. Every day, I would wake up early and train by attacking either a bale of hay or a tree. Sometimes I would chase a rabbit or squirrel." She laughed. Her eyes then turned dark. "Looking back, I must have been way in over my head. Roughly a year after that, human rioters attacked the small village where our section of the Mistralian branch of the White Fang was living. They broke windows, burned our homes, dug up our crops. They destroyed everything... My mother died trying to put out the fire that had been set to our home. Whether it was smoke inhalation, or burned alive, or crushed by falling debris, I pray to the Gods she just went fast. And my father, he tried fighting back. I remember seeing him on the ground as a group of humans pummeled him to a pulp. I tried to protect him. I ran to them and started swinging that bamboo stick wildly. For a short second, I thought I had them. I hit one hard on the head and he went down. I swept another's legs out from under him. I actually thought I was gonna win. Gods, was I wrong... One of them had a knife, which I didn't see."

Her hand went up to trace the scar across her left cheek, just below her eye. "I thought I was gonna die. But my father saved me. He told me to run, and not look back. So I ran. I ran as far away from there as I could. I don't know if he survived or not... I didn't have any other family, so I only had one place I could go. It took me several weeks to find it, getting lost several times while evading Grimm, but I managed to find the main base of operations of the Mistralian White Fang. They took me in without hesitation. They cared for me, they trained me, they helped me build my weapons. At the time, during those years, I was so angry. And so, I had a new goal: I would go to an Academy to become stronger, so I could see Humanity fall. I was around 12 when Ghira stepped down as High Leader and Sienna took his place. When she presented her methods of pushing back against the humans, I was in instantly. And when the humans actually started to respect us, it got to my head. I think that's where my sadistic side first kicked in," she said with a short chuckle.

She then continued. "After I discovered my Semblance, I used it every chance I got. My ability to rob a person of sight, sound, touch and smell seemed almost like a gift from the Gods; like they were granting me the power to make humans suffer, like they did my parents. It got so bad that I was close to actually wanting to kill them. Sienna kicked me off my high horse so hard my head spun. She told me she understood what was going through my head, but taking a life was not something I wanted on my conscious. She reminded once more what our goal was: to gain the humans' respect. And if we had to push them back, so be it. But we were not going to become killers. That got my head straightened back on. She took me under her wing after that. I one day told her of my plan to attend a Huntsman Academy to become stronger, and she agreed with my plan. But she thought it would be a good idea for me to continue getting some real-world experience in, because Grimm wouldn't be the only thing I would face in the future. I agreed. And by the time I was old enough to apply to an Academy, I applied to Haven and was in with no problem. Initiation went by without a struggle, and I was made a member of Team BLNC (Blanche). I stayed with them for maybe 6 months. I enjoyed spending time with my teammates, but the teaching was pretty useless for me. In sparring, they penalized us for anything considered a 'dirty move'. I thought to myself, are you kidding? You think the enemy is gonna care about playing nice? Grimm Studies was helpful, but I was naturally perceptive, so I already knew all of this. I was hesitant to leave, as I had grown fonder of my teammates than I thought I would. I didn't hide around them, they knew I was with the White Fang, but they didn't care. They just saw me. And surprisingly, they were encouraging of my choice to leave. Said that the Academies weren't for everyone, and that if I thought getting back out there would make better progress, to go for it.

She wiped a tear that had slipped down her cheek. "That was possibly the hardest goodbye I ever went through. So I went back to working with Sienna after that. She eventually sent me undercover once rumors of a splinter group arose, and I've been hiding amongst them ever since. So, here I am now; in a whole other world where Beacon has fallen to the Queen, someone whom I considered a second mother murdered in cold blood by a psychopath, and now the race is on to secure four Relics that could spell doom or salvation for the entire world," she finally finished.

Several moments of silence went by before Luna blinked rapidly, as if suddenly noticing what she had just revealed.

"Okay, wow, um," she stuttered, "I didn't think I would tell you all of that. Don't know why I did. Sorry if I bored you with all of that, I just couldn't stop talking..." Her ears turned red with embarrassment, and she glanced away.

Diego chuckled. "You're fine. I liked listening to your story, and it certainly explains a lot. My backstory would probably be just as long, truth be told."

"I wouldn't be surprised," she replied. Then, a yawn forced itself outta her mouth, her sharp canines briefly shining from the moon's light. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm tuckered out. You gonna be out all night?"

"Only if you want to hear my story," Diego replied, "Otherwise... no. I'll be turning in pretty soon. Yang will be wondering where I went otherwise."

Luna grinned mischievously. "Don't want to be caught with another girl late at night, now do we?" she teased, arms behind her back as she backed away slowly.

"No, it's more around the lines of 'being a vigilante' and not telling her where I've gone," Diego explained, "She knows me well enough to know that I won't cheat behind her back. Although, that doesn't necessarily let you off the hook either."

"Never said you would," she retorted, standing a bit straighter. "And she'll learn to trust me when I say I'm not that type. Hell, if you want, tell her I take the phrase 'lone wolf' very seriously."

With that, the Faunus girl turned away and started back towards her sleeping area, but not before throwing a quick "good night" over her shoulder towards the Rogue. Diego chuckled slightly as he watched her leave, then looked back out at the night sky. For a short moment, he seemed to be looking out at something beyond Haven, or even Remnant for that matter.

"TD, I hope you brought her here for a reason," Diego muttered, "Otherwise, I'm going to personally find you and batter you to a pulp... then thank you for giving us a potential friend."

Giving one last sigh, Diego walked back into the room and located the golden hair of his precious Goldilocks. Lying down beside her, he soon was overcome by sleep...

* * *

"On a scale of one to ten, how mad will she be at me?" TD asked himself for no reason, time still at a stand-still in the club. "Ten. Definitely a ten."

Just then, time returned to normal, much to the curiosity of the chaotic entity. He looked around, then felt the presence of a dark being nearby for a brief moment. TD groaned and thumped his head against the table.

"And that just adds another 'crisis I unintentionally started' to my list," he said aloud. He then turned to one of the staff. "Get me the strongest non-alcoholic drink you've got."

* * *

 **TD, I swear you do this on purpose.**

 **"It's possible, pig. I play mind games sometimes even when reformed."**

 ***sigh* I hope you guys enjoyed, because I have a feeling this is going to go on for a while.**

 **"Cya!"**


	2. When Things Go South

**Well, you know that old saying... Once you start something, you follow it through to the end.**

 **"I'm not sure if that is the right phrase or not."**

 **Google it for me if you want, cause I'm too lazy for that.**

 **"Fine. So, I screwed up and now bad things are about to happen with the gang."**

 **Ya think? Please enjoy, ladies and gentlemen.**

* * *

"I suppose this is supposed to make me feel better about my terrible, terrible existence," TD said in a fake drunken voice. True to his nature, he was not a drinker, always going for the soft drinks. Although, he once claimed to have gotten drunk off of a root beer served at a friend's tavern that contained too much sugar. He groaned once again as he thought about what had happened.

"Okay, so they can probably take this on. If worst comes to worst, I'll just jump in," he compromised with himself. "That ought to work!"

"Dude, are you crazy or something?" someone asked him. He immediately regretted that, as a blast of magic suddenly launched him across the club.

"Never say that," TD answered, "You'll regret it in this life and the next."

* * *

Luna sat alone at the kitchen table that morning. It was still early, the sun just barely peaking over the east horizon. This was something she did often, so as to get in a few private training sessions before having to continue her missions. But this one, she was looking forward too. The sunrises in Mistral were gorgeous, and just the sight of one was enough to put her in a pleasant mood.

 _Great way to start the day, yeah?_

As soon as she had finished her quick breakfast of two apples and a bottle of water, she took Silver Moon in hand, and climbed up the fire-escape on the balcony to the rooftop. The early morning air was still cool, but it would warm up soon. Another reason she preferred training at this time: good workout just before it started getting hot. Taking a deep breath, she reveled in the familiar salty smell of the sea to the east.

 _Good to be back, she thought to herself._

Luna moved to the center of the roof. She held Silver Moon vertically in front of her, and she closed her eyes to focus. With one final deep breath, she gave the standard bow and opened her eyes. With a sweep of her foot, she kicked the lower part of her staff into her empty hand. Now in a defensive position, she started her session.

After several minutes, she heard someone else jump up onto the roof, followed soon by a familiar voice.

"The air is not a worthy opponent," Diego said with mock dramatics. He activated his gauntlets and boots, then got into a traditional fighting stance. "Maybe try a live opponent?"

Luna raised her brow in amusment. "Very well then," she responded. She walked over to him, leaving roughly a 5ft distance between them. Returning to a deep stance, she held Silver Moon at the ready. "Ladies first," she insisted with a playful smirk.

"Actually, I believe you mean 'age before beauty.' But either way, I take that as a compliment," Diego stated teasingly. He then struck at her several times to test her reaction speeds.

The wolf's pupils dilated the second she saw movement. With blinding speed, she managed to block each strike as they flew at her. And when she saw her chance, she drove a powerful horizontal strike into his solar plexus. The blow knocked the wind out of him with a pained "omph", and knocked him back a few feet. Giving Silver Moon a dramatic spin, she curtsied to the blue-eyed Rogue in a mocking manner.

"And thanks for the compliment as well, my friend," she said, grinning. Diego stood up and his hands glowed for a second, then he smiled.

"Well, you certainly are no laughing matter," he stated, "But now try to hit me for a change."

"Well since you asked so nicely..." She charged forward. Once within striking distance, she faked a swipe to the head and used that distraction to deliver an uppercut to his jaw, temporarily stunning him... Unfortunately, the blow went short with a blinding fast block from the rogue. He then landed his own blow and sent her back a few feet.

"For someone who's supposed to be old, I'd say I still got my touch," Diego chuckled.

Luna was surprised, but managed to recover quickly and went right back into the fight. This went on for a few more minutes, each seeming to be evenly matched in combat, with first one then the other besting each other. After a few minutes, they stopped when they heard Ruby calling up to them.

"Diego! Luna! Breakfast is ready!"

"We'll be right down!" Diego called, panting a little due to the intense training. He then looked to Luna and smiled. "To be honest, I was not going all in on that. Still, you're probably the first person I've ever met to rival my own combat prowess. Well done!"

"I'm not sure whether to be more flattered or insulted by that," she said, panting heavily. With a press of a button, Silver Moon retracted itself in size down to a 1ft rod, which she holstered onto the back of her hip. Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she asked, "Why go easy on me? I'm not made of glass, you know."

"Because the last person I went all out on that didn't work for Salem is still in a coma, and on life support," Diego replied. "Not many have rivaled my skills and I have yet to find one that can top them either. It's not that I think you're made of glass, it's that I don't want to risk killing you in the process of a friendly spar."

"I'll take your word for it," she replied. They started back to the fire escape, the heavenly smell of pancakes already in the air. Just before they slipped over the side of the rooftop, she bumped her shoulder into his, grabbing his attention. "I appreciate your concern, I really do," Luna said softly. "But I want you to keep something in mind about me: I'm not dying until I am damn good and ready. So say I do end up on life support, don't think I'll be down for long." She hopped over the edge and landed back on the balcony below. Looking back up, she smirked.

"Been told I'm too stubborn for my own good." And with that, she walked in towards the source of the pancake smell. Diego chuckled and said to himself, She reminds me of myself in that regards. I just refuse to die.

He soon joined the wolf Faunus as well, and just in time too. Nora, whether because she felt she needed it more or perhaps she simply was that hungry, had tried to swipe his share before he had arrived. However, as soon as she saw him approaching, she drew her hand back as if it had been burned. Diego smirked. "Next time, I'll make sure to trap my meal," he joked.

"Can you even do that?" Yang asked him.

"Yes, but only if you like seeing a Beowolf the size of a housefly attacking your hands," he stated in a serious tone. Luna snickered.

"That would be funny as Hell," she commented as she sat with her stack of golden cakes.

"Agreed," Diego stated, taking a bite of his own stack.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't be the craziest thing you've done around us," Weiss remarked.

"I think Grimm that size are ironically cute," Ruby commented. Luna snorted at her comment.

"I know, right! Hey, look," she said, grabbing the group's attention. "What's scarier? A tiny Beowolf, or a Chihuahua?" That resulted in a few laughs, which she joined in on.

"I agree... a Grimm that size is a joke to fight," Diego stated. "Unless you count those parasitic bug types. Other than that, it makes me laugh every time." The others all agreed, then were silent as a new figure walked into the room with a yawn.

"Hey Oscar," Diego greeted. "You slept like a brick yesterday."

"Yeah..." he yawned, then noticed Luna. "Who's this?"

She quickly swallowed the mouthful of pancakes she had just taken a bite of. "Oscar, was it? I'm Luna, it's nice to meet you," she greeted.

"Nice to meet you too," he answered, coming over to a plate that was apparently reserved for him.

"Hey Oscar," Diego piped up, "After breakfast, you mind if we talk to Oz a bit? We may have something he'd want to hear."

"Sure," Oscar nodded, before digging into his own pancakes. It was mostly silent, until Yang decided to speak. "So Luna, did you go to a school yourself before all this?"

"I did," she replied after taking another bite. "I was a student at Haven for about 6 months before I decided to drop out and return to the White Fang. My team was called BLNC." No one noticed the quick pointed look she sent towards Diego. He got the message: for now at least, the full story would stay between the two of them.

"Did you like it there?" Ruby asked.

"If she liked it, I doubt she would've left," Jaune pointed out.

"Not always true," Diego noted. "I had to leave my school before, and it was not because I hated it there."

"Which school did you go to, Diego?" Weiss asked, "That's probably the only thing you haven't told us about your past."

"Oh..." Diego seemed to get a bit sad, "I can't remember the name, but it was around long before your schools were around... or so the headmasters claimed. It was destroyed during the Great War."

Luna hummed thoughtfully. "Anyways, Diego is right," she answered Ruby. "It's not that I didn't like it there. As a matter of fact, besides my time with the Fang, it was probably the best 6 months of my life. Truthfully, the only reason I would have stayed would have been to stay with my teammates."

"How come?" Ruby asked, eyes wide with wonder like a child hearing the tale of a grand adventurer.

Luna smiled nostalgically. "I found that I learned more by going out and doing something to change the world, as opposed to wasting away in a classroom. Don't get me wrong, the teachers were great, but it just wasn't for me."

"Ah!" Ruby nodded in understanding. Perhaps because Diego had told her something similar in regards to himself. Just then, Yang's hand started to shake slightly and she looked to it with some form of grief. Diego noticed this and placed his own hand on top of her's, and soon it stopped.

"Feel better?" he asked gently. She smiled at him.

"Yeah. Thanks."

Although she pretended not to notice the little exchange, Luna felt her gut twist a bit.

 _Yang is one of the very few humans I know that were able to escape death by Adam. But with the after-effects I've seen..._ Luna sighed quietly as the dark thought passed through her mind. _Sometimes I wonder if it would've been more merciful if Adam had killed them. At least they wouldn't suffer greatly afterwards..._

 _And yet, this one is still standing,_ she thought. In the very short time she had known her, Luna already respected Yang a lot. She was perhaps the strongest person Luna had met in quite a while. And though it was heart-breaking seeing her tremble like that, Luna would have been more worried if she hadn't shown signs of after-effects. _I guess having Diego around helped her,_ Luna thought as she glanced again at the couple. She liked the little sparkle that appeared in his eyes whenever he looked at the blonde beauty. It was a very good look to them both. _She better keep a tight grip on him. Guys like him nowadays are about as rare as Ruby's eyes._

She was brought out of her head when Ruby inevitably started fawning over all the weapons she had seen in the marketplace the other day. She couldn't help but tease the girl a bit.

"Don't you think Crescent Rose will get jealous that you're looking at other weapons, Ruby?" she said with a playful grin.

"No, I don't think so," she replied, "As nice as it is to meet new weapons, none of them could replace Crescent Rose. She's one-of-a-kind."

"I'll drink to that," Diego said jokingly, raising an invisible glass to his lips. Yang chuckled at this.

"You joker!" she said, slugging his shoulder, "You don't even drink!"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," Diego answered playfully, "My drink is the strongest there is... comedy." Yang laughed a little more, and Ruby joined in. Luna chuckled and gave a 'here, here' as she raised her own invisible glass. She looked back at the young silver-eyed girl.

"I'll agree with ya there, Ruby. Though I admit, I do have my side chick," she said patting the firearm holstered on her right thigh. She then pulled out her staff in its compact form, giving it a little spin. "But I love my baby with all I am."

Just when she thought Ruby's eyes couldn't possibly get any wider with childlike wonder, they did. "That looks so cool!" she exclaimed, "What does it do?"

Diego giggled. "Here we go."

Chuckling, Luna looked at her weapon, "What do you think, Sweetness? Should we show 'em how pretty you are?" The black rod, of course, said nothing. Luna stood from her seat and moved to a more roomy part of the eating area. With a grin and raise of her chin, she spoke like a ringmaster about to unveil the show of a lifetime. "Ladies, gentlemen! Humans and Faunus of all ages! It is my great honor and pleasure to present to you, a device whose deadly power is often greatly underestimated by her simple look. But do not let this deceive you, for she is not one to mess with. As is, of course, yours truly," she said with a wide grin and bow. "I give to you, Silver Moon!" And with that she tossed the still spinning black rod into the air, where it quickly extended into a 6ft long bo-staff with intricate branch-like silver designs along its shaft. The second she caught it back in her hand, she flared her Aura just enough to get the Ice Dust tips to start fogging.

"To answer your question, young Huntress," she addressed Ruby, "For one thing, she gets bigger. I can hear you thinking over there, shut up." The last comment was directed towards Yang, who laughed with eyes full of mischief. No doubt about to make an awful pun.

"Also, I should warn you, my friends," she gave it a spin before pointing one end towards Sun, whom was closest to her. She smirked mischievously, "She's a biter." A foot-long curved blade suddenly extended from the far end, stopping 3 inches from Sun's nose. Startled, the monkey Faunus instinctively jumped back to avoid the blade. Only to fall over his own feet and into Blake's arms, whom was sitting beside him. That got a good laugh out of the table's occupants. Well, all but Blake, who shoved Sun off of her, her ears burning with embarrassment, though thankfully hidden by her dark hair. Chuckling, the she-wolf simply tossed the now naginata over her shoulder and drew her revolver. She laughed aloud at the many wide eyes in the room. She turned a bit to give her audience a better view of behind her.

Somehow, she was managing to perfectly balance her weapon vertically on her tail! Canine tails weren't supposed to do that!

With an amused chuckle, she explained, "A stupid trick I decided to teach myself when I was younger. Turned out to be useful in fights. I had built up the muscle so much, that when I was training with one of the Fang's higher-ups one day, my tail hit him in the face when I flipped over his head. Turned out I broke his nose. Said he felt like he got hit in the head with a baseball bat" Their expressions were pure comedy, she couldn't help but laugh aloud. With a flick of her nearly 2ft tail, the weapon was now laying horizontally across the fluffy appendage, still perfectly balanced. She continued speaking, "And for my side chick!"

She once more presented her black-and-white magnum revolver.

"This is Solstice. State-of-the-art, highly accurate, long-ranged pistol. All the way from Atlas, I've been told," Luna stated. "Travel-sized, yet packs the punch of a sniper rifle. I only use her every now and again for distance shots. Hence, my 'side chick'. Whereas my baby," she holstered the revolver and grabbed her staff from behind her. She gave it an affectionate stroke, "she gets my attention almost every day. Thank you, and have a good day!" With that final comment, she returned the weapon to its compact form and holstered it, before returning to her seat. Diego clapped his hands together.

"Bravo!" he cheered, "That was quite the show! I especially liked the fact that you managed to make some good use out of your tail. The last person I ever met that had a tail anywhere close to feeling like a baseball bat would be Bill Prower, one of our friends from another world."

"Yeah?" she said, taking her seat. "What was he? Alligator? I got hit by one of those before, and it was enough to bust 4 ribs!"

"Actually, he's a fox," Diego answered, "An anthropomorphic red fox, to be precise. We almost didn't take him seriously when we first met him, because where he comes from, sentient animals like him rarely get above four feet tall." He chuckled, "But boy, does he know how to kick butt! What he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in strength, durability, speed, agility... and psychic powers."

"Some have to learn the hard way that size don't matter," she said chuckling. "Example one..." She pointed to Ruby. "Swings a scythe bigger than her around like it's a feather!"

"Ah shucks! It's nothing..." Ruby blushed and started speaking some uninterpretable gibberish. Yang just shook her head.

* * *

After breakfast, the majority of the group all left the room to attend their own business, leaving Team RWBY, Diego, Luna, Qrow and Oscar.

"Well, here goes," Oscar said, closing his eyes. When they opened again, they seemed to belong to someone else and that was even more so when he spoke again. "Hello again, Diego," Oscar spoke in Ozpin's voice, "Glad to see you made it back alive."

"Was there any doubt, Oz?" Diego replied with a chuckle. He then gestured to Luna. "Oz, this is Luna Greyback..."

"A runaway from another Remnant, I presume?" he asked.

"Not exactly. More like against my will," She clarified. "So you're the infamous Headmaster of Beacon Academy?"

"What's left of Beacon anyways," Oz answered.

"Yeah, that place still requires attention," Qrow nodded. He started to take a swig from his bottle, but a glare from Diego made him stop. The hybrid then turned to Ozpin.

"Oz, what should we do? Last I checked, unless you have some connection with TD, I doubt we can just send her back." He turned to Luna apologetically, "No offense, but you really don't belong in this world."

"I'm well aware. As much as I like you all, I do need to get back," she said, crossing her arms and leaning back against the sofa cushion.

Ozpin sighed. "I'm not sure what to do, Diego. Bringing different worlds together is one thing, dragging someone from their version of our world is another. Miss Greyback, do you have any means of contacting TD?"

"Even if I did, I doubt he would send me back. He's an ass like that," she replied, annoyed at said entity. "I didn't have my scroll on me when he sent me here."

As if on cue, a scroll suddenly appeared in the room with a flash of light, with a note attached to it. The note said, "Sorry I forgot to send this with you when you left. Also, we need to talk. Meet me inside Haven at dusk. We may have a problem."

The three (technically four) occupants stared incredulously at the device for several moments before Luna finally spoke. "Are you kidding me?! He couldn't have done that sooner?!" She snarled, canines bared.

"Calm down," Ozpin stated. "Diego, what do you suppose he means by that?"

"I'm not sure Oz," Diego answered, "but we may as well see what he wants."

"Can we even trust him after what happened last time?" Weiss asked seriously, arms crossed.

"He technically didn't attack us willingly back then," Blake noted.

"Well, either way, we should probably check it out," Yang stated.

"Alright, whoever's up for seeing what TD wants before pummeling him for being such a jerk, say 'aye'!" Ruby announced.

"Aye," Diego said with a smile. Everyone else just raised their hands, much to Ruby's disappointment.

"No one ever says 'aye' anymore," Ruby grumbled.

Luna cracked her knuckles loudly. "I get first beatings," she claimed.

"Just as long as you save us some too," Yang agreed.

* * *

"He says 'be here' and expects us to be punctual, yet he himself is late," Diego complained later at dusk. They were inside Haven academy waiting around for the annoying entity, but so far they had found nothing.

"Yeah, tell me about it," the wolf Faunus grumbled, pacing around impatiently. "That royal pain in my tail has two minutes to get his ass here, or I'm leaving. I still need to get in some early-morning training, and it's almost past dusk!"

Just then, a voice was heard in the room nearby as a koala (of all things) walked in holding a toy torch of some kind. "I can't take it anymore," he said in an Australian accent. As he spoke, a blazing light appeared on the ceiling that looked like the sun. The koala continued, "He's taunting us! Listen!"

A laughter of some kind rang through the place.

"Stop laughing at us, you solar twit!" the koala shouted up at the 'sun', then turned to Diego. "Captain Blight! Sir! Are the ice cream cone ready? The crew is on the verge of mutiny..."

"TD, please," Diego stated, "We know it's you."

"If you don't give us ice creams pretty quick, you're gonna walk the plank sir!" The koala countered, walking towards them with the torch outstretched like a sword.

Narrowing her eyes and growling, Luna raised Solstice and fired a shot at the entity. TD yelped at the sudden pain in his arm. The bullet only grazed his bicep, but it hurt enough to get the annoying boy's attention.

"Okay okay, I'll stop!" TD shouted in annoyance, returning to his human form. "Oh, and by the way, hi girls!"

"I swear, I'm gonna kill you someday," Weiss grumbled as she and the rest of the group came out of hiding. They had originally planned to remain hidden until Diego and Luna had reasoned with him, but now that was thrown out of the water.

"Wow, you'd think I was the one writing this story," TD remarked.

"That's because in a technical sense, you are," Diego stated.

Ignoring their odd talk, Luna started marching towards TD. "You have until the second I get to you to start explaining yourself," she snarled, teeth bared and tail tip swaying with anger. "Before I skin you like a damn deer!" She had drawn Silver Moon and unleashed the staff's long blade, the ice Dust-embedded ends fogging profusely in sync with her flared emotions.

TD gave her a look. "Ooo! I'm so scared right now," he said sarcastically. He then sighed. "Fine. A certain someone back in your universe, Luna, has managed to break my 'stop time' thing I put up when I sent you here. Meaning that you're soon gonna have two Salems and two White Fangs around pretty quick."

Diego was stunned.

"I'm sorry, what?" Yang asked.

"In other words, Luna's version of Salem and the White Fang are crossing over," Blake explained.

"That's bad... right?" Ruby asked uncertainly. Oscar/Ozpin said nothing, but his expression was grim.

"Oh, no," Luna said with a dark humorless chuckle. "Having no weapon or Aura and running into an Ursa Major is bad. Running out of coffee during exam week is bad. This? This is a fucking catastrophe!" She exclaimed, trembling with rage. She got up in TD's face."Tossing me into another dimension against my will was one thing. But now this?! How the fuck can you call yourself an all-powerful entity and let this shit happen?!" She yelled. Yang covered Ruby's ears in hopes to block out the silver wolf's foul mouth.

"I never said I was 'all-powerful', ya know!" TD shouted, "Why do you guys always assume things like that?! First, it was thinking I'm a god. Then, it was thinking I'm immortal, and now this?! Clearly, Existence as a whole is losing its mind." He sighed. "I don't plan most of this, by the way. Be thankful that I didn't decide to kill you mid-trip, which was quite tempting."

"Go on then, Pony Boy!" Luna snarled, raising her weapon. "I would love to see you try!"

"I would, but it seems that you're now needed here," TD remarked, "Have fun taking down two Salems!"

"And you can't stay why?" Diego demanded.

TD smiled. "I would help you, but I enjoy watching you guys struggle too much."

At this, Yang rushed at him and punched TD straight in the face... only to have his image shatter like glass.

"Interesting friend you have there Miss Greyback," Ozpin stated, "How'd you get mixed up with him again?"

Trying to rein in her temper, Luna answered, "I first met him on a fandom site for one of Spruce Willis's action movies, er... 'Kill Easy', I think it was. Next thing I know, the idiot has me transported to a pocket dimension arena where he had me and other people fight him to 'test our skills'. We more-or-less kept in touch after that." Still breathing heavily from her anger, the silver wolf started for the door. "I need to go," was all she said before she walked out, the large door slamming behind her.

Diego sighed. "I should probably go after her."

"Not without me, you're not," Yang stated. Diego raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Still jealous, my dear?"

"No," Yang answered, "But you haven't been around for very long, so..."

Diego caught on to what she was about to say and smiled. "Come along then."

"And what do we do?" Weiss asked.

"Figure it out," Diego called back, walking out the door with Yang in pursuit.

* * *

Luna initially planned to head back to their hotel room for some peace and quiet, but TD had riled her up so much she needed to get out of the city. If there were any Grimm nearby, she didn't want to lure them to innocent bystanders. This was why she was now sprinting through the forest near Haven, trying to calm herself down by vigorous exercise. Making her way out of the small forested area, she found an open clearing and a cliff edge ahead of her. Beyond that, she could see a much larger forested area, and smell the scent of sea salt in the air. Not slowing down, the wolf faunus took a flying leap off the cliff.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the few moments of weightlessness that overtook her as she fell, the wind tossing her silver hair about wildly. When she opened her eyes, the treetops raced toward her at incredible speed, yet she remained cool as a cucumber. It wasn't until she was roughly 30 yards from the treetops that her pupils dilated with sudden regained focus, and she drew Silver Moon. Spinning her body with blinding speed, she sliced through the thick canopies like a weed-wacker through grass. She then stuck the naginata blade deep into a nearby trunk, swinging about it multiple times to lessen her momentum. The she-wolf followed through by yanking her weapon from the tree and landing on the ground with a front roll to break her fall. Breathing heavily, she glanced back behind her to ensure she wasn't followed. Satisfied, she took off again. And like she expected, she didn't get very far before she ran into trouble.

Five Beowolves. Four Lessers and an Alpha.

Trembling with adrenaline, Luna grinned widely, a wild glint appearing in her eyes. _This is gonna be fun._

* * *

It didn't take long for Diego and Yang to find Luna. After all, the howls of Beowolves in pain and gunshots were more than enough of an indicator of where she was. However, when they arrived, things looked like they had been taken care of.

Well, almost. The Alpha was still alive and had noticed Diego at the least. They knew that because it suddenly started to back away in fear. Luna didn't even properly address the Grimm's odd behavior, completely inebriated by adrenaline and her joys of battle. She grinned sadistically.

"Yeah, you know who the real alpha is now, don't you?"

With a war cry, she charged toward her final opponent, naginata aimed to kill. She, however, did not notice the figure that had leaped over her head towards the creature until it's shadow blocked the sun's glare in her perepheral vision. Diego, having been given a boost from Yang, flew through the air at the Grimm. He landed a single punch between its eyes and the creature fell to the ground dead. He then looked over at Luna apologetically.

"Sorry! I acted on instinct," he stated, "Nice job, though."

Too angry at being disturbed, the wolf Faunus didn't even process Diego's incredible quick defeat of the Alpha right away.

"That was my kill!" She snapped. "And why did you follow me? I thought I made it clear I needed to be alone!"

"One flaw I tend to have is that I never leave my friends alone... if I can help it," Diego answered the wolf Faunus. He showed no fear of her in his eyes; it was somewhat unnerving. As he stared her down, Yang dropped down next to him to join in on the conversation... or more appropriately stand ready for when something bad happened. Luna was not pleased.

"Great! You too?!" She exclaimed in disbelief. "What, is the rest of RWBY and JNPR right behind you or something?" Not giving either the chance to respond, she continued, "Let me give you some advice now, Kapila. You and Blondie here," Yang glared at her. "can help yourselves by turning around and going back. I don't need or want help." She turned her back and started in the direction she planned to go after finishing the Grimm.

"Where exactly would you go?" Diego asked, "You have no idea what has changed here or what's different from your own Remnant. Besides, if you head that way, I guarantee you'll run into a pack of Beowolves. I can sense at least one hundred."

"I'm resourceful. Even when I'm someplace new, I'm clever enough to find my way back," she retorted before turning back to face them. "And do you honestly think I give a damn about the Grimm? I've cleared out bigger clans of Ursai! This is for your safety and everyone else's, not mine."

"Safety?" Yang asked, "Last I checked, whether you're gone or not, we're anything but safe."

"Plus, I think your Salem would be really interested to find a 'stowaway' from the White Fang all on her own, considering that she basically has it in the palm of her hand," Diego added.

"I'm not talking about Salem!" Luna shouted, her silver Aura briefly flaring brightly before subsiding again. She held up her hands, which were leaking black mist like a dam about to burst. "This is why I need to be alone for right now!" She said in a slightly calmer tone. "It took me almost my entire life to get even a sliver of control over my Semblance. I'm usually a pretty chill person, but if someone manages to push my buttons enough, that's when it gets dangerous. If I don't calm down soon, my Semblance can short-circuit and act out on its own. Sometimes so bad that people a quarter-mile away or farther are affected. And when people suddenly find themselves paralyzed, the first thing they do is panic!" She pointed in the distance. "At least a hundred Beowolves, you said? You think I want to be the reason those come crawling to the Kingdom's walls and someone gets hurt, or worse, killed?" She asked rhetorically, still breathing heavily and body trembling with leftover adrenaline.

Diego seemed to find this somewhat amusing. "In that case, it's justified more or less. But you need not worry about the Beowolves. As long as I'm in the area, they'll be rather hesitant to approach, fear or no fear. Plus, I've copied a Semblance that calms people down in a flash."

"It's true," Yang nodded, "He used that on a patient once when he was going into shock. Works better than morphine."

"Gods above, you're missing the fucking..." she grumbled under her breath, before deciding to just end the conversation. "Look, I told you before that I appreciate your concern, Diego, but this is the way I do things. Respect that, please. Now please, just go back and leave me alone for right now. I'll be back in a couple of hours." She turned for the final time and started walking away.

"Alright!" Diego called, "But be back before midnight, or else someone back there's going to tan my hide... if they can catch me first. Oh, and whatever you do, don't go towards your right until you're past that tree. I left a trap there." He started walking back to the hotel and Yang followed him.

"Are we seriously going to leave her?" she asked.

"Unless you want me to get into a fight with her," Diego answered. "Besides, she needs some time. And frankly, if she goes off... I hope TD's in the blast radius."

Yang smirked. "I think I'd enjoy that too."

* * *

 **Several hours later...**

"Thank you," Luna said to the vendor she had just bought food and water from. Walking out of the marketplace, she took a big gulp from the canteen, then a hearty bite from the fat, ripe mango in her other hand. It took longer than she had expected to calm her temper after Yang and Diego finally let her be. She ended up staying out from early morning until noon. She scouted around Mistral's woodland and some of the coast, but she didn't decide to turn back around until her stomach gave a loud growl that sounded humorously like a Beowolf. The hotel was within walking distance from the city marketplace, and she had a feeling everyone would be eating at this time. But due to the fact that she skipped breakfast, along with a lot of angry fighting and running, the growls of her stomach were beginning to hurt by the time she arrived at the marketplace. So, this was more or less an energizing snack to quell her hunger for now until she had something more filling.

She took her time walking back to the hotel, just enjoying the outdoors a little longer. The day was beautiful; sun was shining, sky was clear, wind was blowing to make the heat more bearable, and she had a refreshing, delicious fruit as she went. If not for the information she'd learned earlier still lingering at the back of her mind, she would have even thought this was blissful. After tossing the mango's ridiculously large seed, she made her way through the hotel and to the apartment her new friends were staying. Unlocking the door with her Scroll (they had generously linked her Scroll with theirs so she had a lock to the apartment), the first thing she saw was Diego and Blake in the middle of a conversation. It wasn't until the door closed behind her that they noticed her.

"Hey," Luna said. "Sorry it took so long for me to get back." She took another sip from her canteen following her statement.

"Oh, hi!" Diego said with a smile. Blake smiled too as she looked to the Wolf Faunus.

"Did you manage okay?" Blake asked. "You took some time coming back."

"Yeah," Luna replied. "Took me a little longer to calm down than I expected, but I turned around as soon as I realized I needed food." She sniffed the air, smelling something cooking. "Ooo, speaking of which, I'm gonna go rob the kitchen!"

"Help yourself," Diego said, "We just ate a while back."

Blake looked to Diego. "Well, I'd better go. Sun will be wondering where I disappeared to."

Diego gave her a teasing grin. "Good luck, cousin!" Blake blushed slightly and walked out of the room, with Diego lightly chuckling as she went.

"At this rate, you might as well make me the matchmaker of the group," he said to no one in particular.

"I saw that coming a mile away!" Luna called back from the kitchen, laughing. "Those sideways glances she gave him weren't exactly well-hidden!" She walked back into the living area with a sandwich in hand, and plopped down onto the sofa opposite of Diego. With an amused glint in her eye, she asked him, "So, great matchmaker, whose next on your list?"

"Well..." Diego spoke as if pondering things, but he too sported an amused expression, "I have some friends who's money is on an heiress and a hydrophobe. I'm simply biding my time... waiting for the right moment to make my play."

Luna laughed. "I thought I smelled pheromones radiating off of those two!" She joked.

"I know, right?" Diego chuckled as well. He then sighed and said, "So... was TD in the blast radius by chance? I'd pay to see a video recording of that."

Luna shook her head. "I didn't blow, but if you and Yang stuck around any longer, that would be a different story. That would have been funny as Hell though!" She admitted with a smile.

"Yeah..." Diego looked around the room, then whispered to her, "If we see him again, I'll let you get the first swing at him."

She swallowed the last bite of her sandwich. "Oh my Gods, that would be great," she groaned, dramatically falling onto her back on the sofa. "But I've had enough excitement for one day. So for now, Yang can take my spot in line," she said, one arm over her eyes, the other hanging off the side and her tail thumping lazily against the couch cushion.

Diego chuckled, then seemed to lose his smile for a bit.

"I'm actually a bit concerned now, truth be told," he said to her. Luna just hummed, silently saying to continue while not moving from her position. "I'm worried of what Salem- my Salem- will do," Diego stated, "I mean, she doesn't care an inch of what happens to you guys, while she'd literally sacrifice all the Grimm to keep me alive. However, your Salem doesn't feel the same way towards me. So my question is, will she turn my Salem against us in a way worst than before?" He sighed. "I still have a form of emotional attachment to her, so I... don't know if I could bear to kill her if it comes to that."

"I understand, Diego," she replied. "But you do realize that when it comes down to it, emotional attachment or no emotional attachment, it's gonna have to be either her or us."

"I do... and that makes it harder," Diego stated, "You see, I hate her almost as much as I love her. To be more specific on the latter, I still love her, but not in that way anymore."

"Two sides of the same coin," she stated, "You can love one thing about a person with a burning passion, but there's always also something about them that you hate just as much. Can't have one without the other."

"I suppose," Diego said looking to her, "But I just don't know if death is truly the only way. You may think this absurd, and Qrow especially thinks this, but deep down I know there's some good in her. She proved it during my time with her, and I can't help but feel that she can still be... saved. If that's the right word to use."

"Like I just said, two sides of the same coin. Where there is good, there's bad. And where there's bad, there's good. No such thing as pure good or evil. But here's the thing," Luna sat up and looked to her new friend. "You can't help someone unless they want to be helped. If Salem doesn't want to stop her plans to destroy us and the world, even for your sake, the answer is clear of what needs to be done."

When he didn't answer or look at her, she got up and sat beside the Rogue. She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "The things that are worth risking are never easy. And I know it's a lot for any of us to ask you to make this kind of decision, considering your past, but that right there is the problem. If you don't let go of the past, you'll be doomed to repeat it. If you want a future with any of us, a certain blonde especially," she chuckled gently before returning to her serious tone. "You need to move forward."

"I suppose you're right," Diego answered. He flashed Luna a smile. "Forgive me for saying this, but I originally didn't take you to be the type to give advice like that." He chuckled. "Guess there's more to you than meets the eye. Perhaps another flaw of mine at times; not seeing past the outer appearance."

She giggled. "Yeah, I can be a bit philosophical when I choose to be. I'm not just a woman of many talents and skills." Her long tail reached over her shoulder and obscured half of her face from the nose down. "But of many secrets as well!" She said with a dramatic whisper.

Diego raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're hitting on me."

"No," she said calmly. Then she punched him roughly on the shoulder. "That is me hitting on you."

Diego looked to her, then he laughed. "That was good," he said, "You should hang out with us more often. Of course, that's after we kick TD's butt."

"As great as that would be," she stood up and walked back into the kitchen, calling back, "I believe you yourself said I don't belong in this world. And TD is the least of our worries." She returned with her canteen in hand. "I'm glad, in a way, that I was sent here. I got to meet all of you. But I can't stay here. I have responsibilities back in my Remnant, and if I play my cards right, I may be able to prevent any of this from happening to my world." She said before taking a sip from the canteen.

"Don't count on it," Diego muttered. He then sighed and looked out the window. "Sun's still high in the sky. I might as well take a look around the town. Maybe I'll bump into one of the others. I've been dying to get into a spar with Ozpin or Qrow, or even both."

"Oh they all went out?" Luna asked. "I didn't see any of them on my way back."

"Either the authors had something to do with that or you simply missed them," Diego answered. He then looked to her. "I'm starting to sound like TD when he breaks the Fourth Wall, aren't I?"

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p'. "And he knows how much that annoys me."

"Well, be thankful that I don't indulge in that too much," Diego replied, "It kinda ruins my sense of adventure."

"Well then that's good news for us both," the silver wolf stated. "I keep my sanity, you keep your pretty face. Because otherwise, I would break it, and then have to deal with a pissed-off dragon." It was uncertain if she was joking or not; her tone and expression said the latter. Diego nodded, then stood to his feet.

"I guess I might as well take off. You're welcome to come along or stay if you wish. Your call."

"It's nice out today, so I'll go with," Luna decided, standing as well. "I mainly came back just to reassure everyone that I wasn't devoured by a King Taijitu or something. And the food."

Diego smiled deviously and rushed out onto the balcony. "Race ya to the outskirts!" he shouted with a laugh, skillfully jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Luna was right on his tail - no pun intended.

"Oh you don't want to race a wolf, Kapila!" She exclaimed, sprinting and leaping neck-and-neck with the Rogue. Diego could have sworn that once or twice, he had even seen her run on all fours! Smirking, he showed off a few trump cards of his own, especially his insanely high jumps. Either way, they clearly enjoyed themselves as they raced towards the outskirts of the city, trying to out-rush each other.

* * *

Salem sighed as she watched two figures in her crystal ball jumping across from rooftop to rooftop. She knew at least one of the figures and her guesses were confirmed when one of them turned roughly in the direction of the Seer Grimm that was spying on them.

"Little Diego's out having fun again," she said aloud, almost like a mother watching one's child. "At least he's having better luck than I am at cheering up. But who's his friend?" She leaned closer and squinted her eyes to try and see if she could find anything that would allow her to recognize the wolf Faunus beside him. Just then, a loud noise was heard and Salem looked up to see what it was. What she saw made her almost jump in surprise. Standing before her, looking just as confused, was another Salem.

"What the- how did- what is-?" they both said at once. At last, the first Salem raised her hand. "Wait, wait. I think I've got it... You're from another Remnant. So how'd you get here?"

"I'm not sure," the second Salem replied, "All I remember was walking into this room to start a meeting."

Salem #1 nodded, then looked to her. "I've seen that power before, the one that sent you here, and I can redirect it for our own causes."

Salem #2 seemed to catch on. "It seems we share the same interests. Alright, how about a deal? We are the same, so we both have the same goals. We could help each other."

"Help me, and I'll help you," Salem #1 replied, holding out a hand. Her doppelganger shook her hand as both gave each other a smile. Just then, a gasp was heard from the doorway and they turned to see Watts in the doorway, looking between the two as he tried to keep himself composed.

"Uh, pardon me ma'am," he said, "but what has happened here?"

Salem #1 addressed her minion formerly. "Watts, this is my alternate self. And we have some work to do. The plan will have to be postponed, for now..."

* * *

 **SEE! This is why you're never trusted with these things!**

 **"Oh sure! Blame it on the guy who actually did it! Wait..."**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed, and we'll cya next time... right after I bash TD's skull in.**

 **"YIKES!"**

 **...**

 **Luna: Haha! Hacked!**

 **Luna's Author: Shoo! *sprays water bottle* Bad wolf! Off the story, now!**

 **Luna: *growls, then attacks***

 ***both fight***


	3. Wyvern attack!

**Luna: "Haha! Now that I have access to this story, I'm one step closer t-"**

 **Luna #2: What are you doing?**

 **Luna: "None of your business!"**

 **Luna #2: Just say 'hi' to the readers before TD decides to kick us.**

 **Luna: "Ugh, fine. Sup readers of the world! I'm Luna, and this is...er, also Luna."**

 **Luna #2: *sigh* Just refer to me as Chey for right now, to avoid confusion.**

 **Luna: "And here's our friend along with his pain-in-the-ass sidekick: Terror and TD.**

 **"I'm not a pain in the-"**

 **Hello Chey, and Luna! Glad you could make it!**

 **"Why are they even here?"**

 **Because we invited them. Now, hush, before we release the wolf upon you! *giggle* Sorry Luna, I couldn't resist.**

 **Luna: "Oh don't apologize. And since when do I need permission to kick his butt? *grin while cracking knuckles***

 **Chey: Must you always resort to violence?**

 **Luna: "Hey, this is how you wrote me to be. Shut up."**

 **Chey: *sigh* Well anyway, thanks for having us here guys :)**

 **No probs! I like talking with you guys... even if Luna has quite the mouth.**

 **"Anyways, for those at home that don't know, the two Salems are about to wreck havoc upon the two Remnants, and not for the better!"**

 **And that's your fault.**

 **"*sigh* Must you rub it in?"**

 **Luna: "Do you want the truth, or one of those little white lies that don't hurt your feelings?"**

 **"I'm... not sure, actually."**

 **Exactly! So, let's do this, shall we? And Luna, you may keep that access point, if only to beat the tar out of him.**

 **"Why you little-!"**

 **Luna: "Hell yeah!"**

 **Chey: And I'll do the honors: enjoy the chapter everyone!**

* * *

"Looks like your old age is catching up to you, Kapila!" Luna called out to said boy. They were close to the outskirts, and were now racing across slanted, shingled rooftops. The wolf faunus had no problem with this; staying on all fours for this course, she was able to leap from the peaks of the rooftops, climb up the next roof, before leaping off of that peak. Her incredible agility and endurance allowed her to keep this rhythm up for several blocks, her speed having yet to falter. Diego, of course, was right on her tail - again, no pun intended.

"I technically am still the same age through and through!" Diego shouted back, as he started to catch up again, "It's not my fault that you clearly have the advantage, especially on all fours!"

The she-wolf laughed. "Not my fault you can't adapt to overcome obstacles!"

Deciding to show off a bit, the Faunus focused her Aura into her legs to give her an additional boost. With a mighty leap, she cleared the next house completely, tucking her body into a front roll to increase her distance. Bracing for landing, she stood back up on two legs to slide down the shingled roof, before leaping to the next. She regained her rhythm and position back on all fours. Glancing over her shoulder, she grinned at seeing Diego was now further behind than before. But that soon changed, as Diego performed a similar trick. The difference was that his actually launched him farther, to the point where he was ahead of her for a moment.

"Training in nothing but combat for almost eighty years has its advantages!" Diego laughed, expertly free-running along the rooftops. As if that wasn't enough, he temporarily flipped over and started running along on his hands at the same speeds. He looked to Luna as he righted himself and grinned.

"Guess we both have things that even us out!" he called.

"Not for much longer!" She picked up her speed, now just leaping from peak to peak. They were now neck-and-neck, and the outskirts were just up ahead. Who would win?

* * *

"Very impressive, Miss Rose," Ozpin stated as he parried another blow from Ruby's fist. "You're improving quite well in unarmed combat."

"Thank you Professor!" Ruby exclaimed as she attempted to go for another blow. However, before she could, they both heard a loud, "Incoming!" and then two figures dropped to the ground. One made a rather impressive crater where he landed. Of course, it was Diego and Luna, both panting hard.

"I'd call it a draw," Diego said through gasps, "Awesome speeds by the way!"

The silver wolf looked at him with disbelief.

"Draw?!" She said incredulously, rolling onto her back while breathing heavily. "I totally won, and you know it!" She made no effort to get up right away, and just laid on the ground trying to catch her breath.

Ozpin chuckled, then added his own intuition. "You both hit the ground at the exact same time, and your positioning is parallel to each other. I agree with Mr. Kapila's statement. However, I will also argue that he clearly does not possess some of the same advantages you possess Miss Greyback."

Luna waved off the man's comments with a grumble. "Technicalities. I still won," she insisted stubbornly. The silver wolf finally got to her feet, dusting the dirt off her shirt and pants. She looked back at Ozpin and Ruby. "Did we interrupt something?"

Ozpin shook his head. "We were just finishing up," Ruby said.

"Hashtag 'not convinced,'" Diego replied, as he finally gained his breath back.

"Ditto here," Luna agreed, crossing her arms.

Ozpin chuckled again. "We were giving Miss Rose some lessons in unarmed combat."

"Oh! That's a valuable skill," Diego said, "And one more thing Yang and I can agree on."

Luna's eyes widened. "You haven't learned hand-to-hand yet? That should be the first thing you learn before you so much as even look at a weapon," she replied.

Ruby looked down sheepishly. "Well, I've been practicing."

"It's true," Diego added, "and she's doing well. When Cinder attacked, Ruby actually held her own quite well when she was deprived of Crescent Rose."

Luna furrowed her brows in confusion. "I thought you said it was a guy named Mercury?"

"Sorry, I wasn't more specific," Diego noted, "It was Cinder's attack, but Mercury was the one Ruby faced personally."

"Gotcha," she said nodding.

"But Diego's the one who made her lose her eye," Ruby said, then, "Okay, when you say it out loud, it doesn't sound so great." The two chuckled at the young girl's embarrassment.

"It's okay Ruby," Diego said, "It's not one of my finest hours either."

Luna turned to Diego, having just remembered something. "Hey, didn't you say earlier that you were 'dying' to get into a spar with Ozpin? Or are you too tired now?" She asked teasingly.

His response was to close his eyes, and a green glow emitted from him. Some energy escaped him and into Ozpin, and both suddenly looked more revitalized, more refreshed. Diego grinned. "That was a special Semblance I picked up on my travels. Regenerates lost physical energy. Now we're both at our full potential."

Oz chuckled, then walked over to a tree nearby where his cane stood alongside Ruby's scythe. He picked it up and extended it to full length while Diego activated the gauntlets on his arms and a similar action occurred with his boots. Luna noticed that the gauntlet on Diego's left arm was reddish-grey in color, while the other was the same yellow color as Yang's. In fact, it looked exactly like Yang's gauntlet! She shook her head, smiling softly.

 _Normal couples exchange promise rings, yet these two exchange weapons,_ she thought humorously. Her mind then went to Diego's recent use of his Semblance. _I swear, if we were a book or movie, we would probably get so much backlash for plot convenience, it wouldn't be funny._

…

"Funny you should say that Luna, who probably can't hear me- "

…

"Author, no," Diego said out of the blue, glaring at seemed to be open air. He then looked back to Ozpin and rushed in for the attack. The Headmaster parried a few attacks Diego threw at him, then swiped at the Rogue's feet in an attempt to make him lose his balance. However, Diego managed to jump fast enough to avoid this move, then went on the defensive as Oz started to land several blows of his own on the Rogue. This went on for quite some time, with neither side seeming to gain the advantage over each other, each one pulling off some kind of trick or move that temporarily offset the other. That is, until Ozpin started to show signs of fatigue. Diego didn't seem to be at all winded, and simply smiled as he went in to finish the fight. As he did, it was noticed that if his attacks had seemed fast before, they became even faster now. Oz couldn't seem to keep up with how many blows Diego was throwing every second and soon found his defenses broken through in a matter of seconds, his aura depleting really fast. At last, Ozpin yielded the fight, much to Diego's amusement. As he used his Semblance to regain their stamina, Diego spoke.

"Too slow, Oz. You were faster once," he stated.

"And your predictions better once," Ozpin replied, "It seems we both have something to work on."

"Alright, we get it. You're both old, you're both losing your edge," came Luna's two cents, followed by a chuckle from Ruby. Glancing to the side, Diego and Oz found the young silver-eyed girl sitting at the base of a nearby tree. And the silver she-wolf was hanging upside down from the branches of the same tree. The latter then added, "As the saying goes, 'there's always room for improvements', and all that good stuff."

"Actually, I'm the only one who's old, despite being in Oscar's body," Ozpin stated, looking to Diego.

"I didn't tell her that yet, Oz," Diego said with a slight glare, "It's not really something that's easy to explain."

"Well, might as well now," Oz replied calmly, "As for me, I have to be going. Qrow and I have some business to discuss."

Ozpin walked away from the group and back into the city, Diego staring at the back of his head the whole way.

"Honestly, I often just want to slug him for no reason," Diego said aloud, then added, "Oz, I mean. Not Oscar. Oscar's a good kid."

Luna snorted. "Oh no, I see plenty of reasons to," she retorted, crossing her arms behind her head, still hanging upside down. "Just sucks that that kid is basically his human meat shield. Wait, if you hit Oscar, does Ozpin feel it, since they're in the same body? Or does that just apply to whoever is in control at the time?" She asked, curiously tilting her head, which Diego found a bit humorous due to her current position.

"You almost look like an opossum with your head tilted like that," he chuckled. He then sighed and seemed to lose his smile for a moment. Seeing this, Ruby stood up and walked over to him, giving him a small hug. This seemed to help him a bit and he smiled at her.

"Thanks Ruby," he said softly to her, to which Ruby just smiled and nodded. Luna hummed thoughtfully.

 _I actually wonder if I could hang from my tail now? Probably not, I weigh more than Silver Moon does. But of course, knowing my curiosity, I'm gonna try to do it later on anyway._

Sighing, Luna released her legs' grip from around the branch she was hanging and twisted as she fell, landing in a crouch. She stood and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm assuming there's something else I may need to know?" She questioned rhetorically.

Diego nodded, then looked to Luna as Ruby stepped back a few steps.

"Oz is right, I'm not old like he is. I'm actually the age I appear to be, despite living for almost eighty years beyond that age." He sighed again. "I... placed a curse upon myself in my rage towards Salem when she killed my 'fiancé.' I swore never to rest until I had avenged the deaths of those I loved. As a result... I cursed myself with something worse than immortality." His eyes filled with some tears. "I stay the same age, even as the years roll on. I guess you could say... it's like extending my current age to an unbearable length. And it's been taking its toll. I feel... thin, like taffy pulled too tight, like thread that's been sewed through too much fabric." He looked Luna in the eyes. "I was here when the Great War began. I watched the kingdoms tear each other apart, and while they fought I did nothing but train in combat, vowing to become the best warrior in all of Remnant. I succeeded... but now looking back, it was not worth the cost."

The she-wolf's stomach twisted uncomfortably at this new information. To be denied eternal peace and rest after so long... she wouldn't wish that on even her worst of enemies. She herself had learned long ago that life was a Hell that would beat us to our knees, but we could choose to smile through the pain and keep going until our time was up. To hear that he had been denied that, and to see so much pain in the eyes of someone so young... she felt sick. She wasn't sure what to say.

She walked up to the pained Rogue, her blue eyes level with his own. Hoping she wasn't crossing a line, she stepped closer, wrapped one arm around his neck, the other around his torso, and sat her chin on his shoulder. She felt the muscles in his body tense up at the sudden affection. She tried to find the right words, hoping to comfort him in some way, while at the same time being real with him.

"You're not the best, though. There's no such thing. No matter how powerful we may think we are, there will always be someone more so than us. And there will always be someone more powerful than that person, and so on. And it must be worth it. You're still here. You're still fighting. You could have chosen to isolate yourself from the world to rot away until maybe the gods decided to take pity on you. But you're here. You wouldn't be if you didn't think there was any hope left. If you didn't have something worth fighting for. And remember what I said earlier: the things worth fighting for are never easy."

She gave him a comforting squeeze, and continued, "Life is Hell, but we can make it worth living. There's nothing worse than an unlived life."

Diego fell silent for a moment, then slowly returned the wolf Faunus's hug. She could feel his tension slowly starting to ebb away and he felt more relaxed.

"Thanks for that Luna," he said softly, not breaking away just yet, "I needed to hear that. Although," he chuckled and added teasingly, "next time, be a little more cautious when you try that. Wouldn't want to give the wrong impression."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, if I wanted to give a wrong impression, I would've shoved my tongue down your throat already," She replied bluntly, before whispering, "Besides, I think I'm safe; we have a witness."

Ruby suddenly squeezed in between the two and wrapped her arms around them both.

"I want a hug too!" She demanded rather cutely, her eyes alight with childish glee.

"Speak of the little devil," Luna said, grinning. Diego chuckled and ruffled Ruby's hair a bit with his hand.

"And you'll get one!" he answered her just as joyfully.

Grinning, the silver wolf shook her head. "So what now? I kicked your butt at racing, we found two missing friends, you fought Oz like you wanted, and we had another great talk about how the world sucks at the moment. Shall we hunt down Qrow so you can kick his tail feathers, too?" She asked, amusement in her tone. "Or shall we find the others first, before finding the old bird? That way you have an audience."

Diego chuckled. "Actually, Qrow and I don't really spar against each other. We're too close buddies for that. However, I could use a little more company today. May even tell you a few stories if you'd like."

He released the two, then started to deactivate his equipment. Looking at the yellow bracelet/gauntlet on his right arm, he said to himself aloud, "I'm surprised I never tried to copy your design before taking this thing up, Yang. It rocks!"

"You keep talking to yourself, and people are gonna think you're crazy," Luna quipped. She then corrected herself, "Er, well... crazier."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it," Diego replied. "It's all fun and games to me." He looked to Ruby. "Alright Red Riding Hood, where's the golden haired beauty you call your sister?"

Ruby giggled, then said, "She's this way. Follow me!"

Ruby started off through the forest, the wolf Faunus and hybrid following at a distance. Luna glanced at the Rogue walking beside her.

"By the way, how did you meet all of these guys? Did you literally stumble upon them, too?" She asked.

"Actually, Ruby was the first of the bunch I met," Diego stated, "And that was when she first met Torchwick. I kinda... jumped in on the action."

"Oh really?" Luna said, "You said Torchwick was the guy they all thought was the boss behind all their trouble before they found out about Salem, right?" Following his nod, she asked teasingly, "And how long after running into Ruby did you meet your 'beautiful Goldilocks'?"

"A few nights afterwards," Diego explained. "I may not have had any emotional attachments at first, but I won't deny this: I was bewitched the moment I saw her." He chuckled to himself in memory of the event. "We started visiting each other often afterwards. She'd help me out with vigilante missions, and I'd make sure that she returned to Beacon safely. Not long afterwards, Blake was brought into the picture."

"How long did it take you to realize she was a Faunus?" Luna asked.

Diego got a sheepish smile. "Instant? I'll admit, I kinda placed bugs all over the school so I could listen in on the students. Sounds like a stalker, but it was because I felt obligated to protect the Huntsmen and Huntresses, due to my past dealings with Salem." He sighed and continued. "I overheard Yang and the others arguing with each other over a recent White Fang activity, and then Blake ran off in fear when she accidentally gave herself away. I decided to drop in and talk to her when that happened. She told me everything about her past. I didn't know she was my cousin until some time later, when I overheard a private conversation between her and Ozpin. It was her last name that confirmed it for me."

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all," she replied sarcastically, grinning teasingly.

Diego laughed, then continued. "I soon revealed myself to the entire team, and we actually got along well afterwards. Although, Weiss was hesitant to accept me at first. For a while, that was the extent of our friendship; I was the vigilante friend who helped them spot some activity in the area, they came to help me clean up the mess. The only time we started to have issues was when Ironwood started rolling into town. See, because of my dealings with Salem, he really didn't trust me at all. First he showed up without notice, then eventually he started programming his androids to arrest or attack me on sight. Eventually, however, as the invasion towards Vale got closer, he started warming up to me once he realized I wasn't the enemy. However... that's the night when it all went downhill." Diego sighed. "When the Grimm started to attack and the White Fang moved in, I at first did what I did best: killed all who stood in my way, trying to help out in the ways I could. I remember hearing Yang shout in anger at one point, and rounded a corner to see her go for Adam." A small tone of sadness filled his voice. "You can guess what he did then."

Luna silently grit her teeth in agitation.

 _That bastard..._ she thought to herself. _And yet, I wonder if...no, it's too late for him...or, maybe...?_

She finally spoke aloud. "You know, as much as I want to hate him, I can't. He's done horrible, despicable things to Humans and Faunus alike, yet I can't hate him. I don't know why..." She shook her head. "No, I do know why. It's because I knew Adam the passionate revolutionist, long before I knew Adam the sadistic terrorist..." Her icy eyes turned soft as feelings of nostalgia and sadness crept through her mind.

Diego nodded. "I used to know him in the same way. I actually joined the White Fang temporarily when it came to be. But when he started resorting to his... extreme measures, I quit. Seeing him attack Yang..." He clenched his fist for a second, then released it as he continued. "I almost felt like my heart had stopped. He started to go for Blake next, so I intercepted his attack, at the cost of my right gauntlet. I gave Blake time to escape with Yang, telling her to run away from the fight when she got the chance. Afterwards, I took down Adam, but I didn't kill him. I spared his life that one time, in hopes that he could still be turned. Then I went for the big fish: Cinder. While Ruby dealt with the dragon, I took Cinder on myself... but I revealed a side of me that had been buried away for many years. The part of me that had turned into a Grimm."

Luna gave a somber nod. "I can't even imagine how frightening that must have been." Taking a deep breath, she continued her own story. "Adam was actually the one that brought me to the base of the Mistralian White Fang. After I made it across Anima and into Mistral, I finally realized that I hadn't thought things through. I had no idea where I was, or where I should go. I wondered around hoping for the best, and one day I was approached by a group of racist humans. I thought I was done for...then, he showed up."

Her mind flooded with images of angry humans, the smell of a homemade sand bomb, the firm grip of a hand on her arm pulling her away from the madness. And those...dark gray eyes. Eyes that once held empathy and a fire for justice...

"He saved me," she said softly, "At that time, it was his job to find new recruits, particularly those close to his age that had no one. Lucky for me, he was in the right place at the right time. After that, he personally trained us all. And not just group training, he did one-on-one training as well. Actually, now that I think about, it was his nose I broke with my tail!" She paused to giggle at the memory.

"For all of us who had nothing, he became our inspiration and strength. Most of us saw him as a big brother figure. And of course, at one point or another, quite a few of the girl recruits found his drive attractive. Admittedly, myself included at one point," she rolled her eyes at that one. "But of course, everyone knew that no one could possibly replace Blake in his eyes. Back then, I think he really did love her...but whatever happened to him after Sienna took over gradually turned his drive for justice into something ugly." When he essentially became a Grimm in human skin...

"Sienna worried for him as much as I did, which is why she sent me in as a spy. I didn't dare try to approach him directly, due to his unpredictable, animalistic nature. So all I could do then was watch and listen. And even now, even in this world, I can't find it in me to hate him. Because no matter how hard I try, even when I look at him and see the monster he's become…I'll always see that 14-year-old boy that saved my life. That gave me a home and a new life...a family..." she finished quietly, blinking away the wetness she felt trying to form in her eyes.

Diego looked to her with sympathy. Now it was his turn to try and comfort her.

"I see. Much like me, you have developed an emotional bond with someone whom you would call an enemy. It's hard. I only knew Adam as a friend, or a brother, and even now I'm willing to believe that there's hope for him in the end. I don't really know what else to say that would help, but for what it's worth... I'm sorry."

"It's fine, thanks for trying anyway," she said with a friendly bump to his shoulder. "We really have no control over our emotions; we can't help what we feel. We can maintain some semblance of control over our actions and thoughts, but not our emotions." She said in a sage-like manner to no one in particular.

"Agreed," Diego said with a nod.

"Hey!" Ruby called ahead, "We're almost there! Come on!"

Diego chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Slow down, kiddo! You're gonna give gramps a heart-attack."

Luna shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, bye Gramps!" She exclaimed before jogging ahead to catch up with Ruby.

Diego sighed. "Well, might as well."

He took a breath and jogged up to them, catching up right along with them. After a few minutes, they found the one they were looking for. Yang had evidently just finished going out for a ride on Bumblebee and was parking the motorcycle against a tree. When she noticed them approaching, she gave them a friendly wave. Luna gave the bike an appreciative whistle.

"Damn, that's a sexy ride you got there, Blondie! Any chance I can convince ya to let me take it for a joy ride?" She asked with a mischievous grin.

Yang laughed. "Bumblebee only has one driver, and that's me. But, I may be able to arrange for a cruise sometime later."

Diego chuckled. "Even I'm not allowed to drive Bumblebee, and I'm the one who doesn't get killed when I mess with her hair!"

Luna kept her mischievous grin. "Thanks, but I'm not much of a cruiser. Besides, I bet ya I could probably outrun this beast anyway," she challenged, waiting to see how the blonde would react. Yang smirked.

"What? This thing? At full power, even Diego can't out run it."

"It's true," Diego added, "And you and I both raced each other at full speed. So... good luck."

Luna shrugged with a nod. "True, true. But here's the thing: you can only go so far once you've run out of flat road. And I'll admit, you have me at a disadvantage there. But once you go off road, that's where I win. I'm an all-terrain vehicle," she pointed out.

"Isn't that a given with any vehicle like that?" Diego asked.

"Not always," Yang replied, "Sometimes I do some off-road driving with Bumblebee, and I've managed to make some good mileage out of it. But she's right. Against her, I probably wouldn't stand a chance."

The silver wolf was very pleased with herself, though she didn't let her face show just how much. She kept her grin minimal. "Maybe one of these days when we aren't battling Grimm Queens, terrorists, and dimension travelers, we can put these theories to the test," she offered sportingly, tail swinging in a similar manner.

"I'm game," Yang agreed.

"It would be fun," Diego added.

"Yes! Please, yes!" Ruby shouted, finally deciding to join in. Diego couldn't help but chuckle once more.

"Ruby, did you have coffee today?" he asked teasingly.

"Maybe..." she replied. This only made Diego laugh some more. Luna perked up at the mention of coffee.

"That actually sounds like a good idea right now," she stated. "And if I remember corre- Yep! There it is." She spotted the cafe she recalled from memory just a short distance away. She turned to her three friends, "You guys game?"

"Sure!" Yang said, "I'm liking you already."

"You weren't before?" Diego asked teasingly, then more serious, "Sure. I'm up."

"What should I get?" Ruby asked.

"Anything you want," Diego replied, "It's on me."

With a devious grin, the she-wolf retorted, "If you're the last one through those doors, you're buying all of ours!" With that, she immediately took off towards the café.

Yang and Ruby took off after her, the former crying out "Hey, no fair! You gave no warning!" In which the Faunus winked and replied with "Too slow, gotta go!"

Diego smirked himself and with a loud, "Ali-oop!" He leaped high into the air and fired a grappling hook from his wrist, tethering it to the side of the building. He then flew along through the air as the tether cord retracted. Unfortunately, while managing to pass all the others this way, he did end up crashing into the wall, then falling to the ground.

"Where's the leak, ma'am?" he asked in a weird voice. He then shook his head and asked, "Okay, who decided to make me sound like Patrick for a second there?"

"Remember what I said about people thinking you're crazy if you keep talking to yourself." Diego glanced up and glared at Luna who gave him a cheeky wave as she, Yang and Ruby walked through the doors in that order. He was the last to walk in.

"Figures," Diego muttered, then looked to the girls, "Well, looks like I'm buying." Yang gave him a curious look, to which he replied, "What? I earned it. I'm not a crook."

"Got yourself quite the gentleman there, Blondie," the wolf faunus complimented jokingly. "Got to say, I'm a little jealous."

"Sometimes, I'm still wondering if he acts like that to impress me or if he's just like that naturally," Yang answered.

"I think we're beyond the 'impressing' stage," Ruby giggled.

"I heard that," Diego remarked, then looked to the man behind the counter. "The usual for me please, and whatever these three want. It's on me."

"I don't know, Ruby. Some guys never seem to leave that stage," Luna replied. Then she turned to the counter man. "Mint mocha, please. Double shot of espresso, no whipped cream," she ordered.

"I'll go with some hot chocolate for now," Ruby said.

"Caramel latte, please," Yang ordered.

The man nodded and left to prepare their orders. As soon as he did, Yang's arm started to shake a bit. Ruby noticed this and looked to her with slight worry. Then Diego's hand rested on Yang's own and grasped it firmly for a moment. Yang looked to him as he gave her a small smile.

"It's alright," he said to her softly, and she managed a smile. Soon, her hand stopped shaking altogether. With her back turned to them, Luna had heard the quiet rattling of Yang's gauntlet just before Diego said anything. That tight feeling returned in her stomach, and she swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. When their orders were placed on the counter, she regained her calm, cool composure. They each thanked the man and took seats in a nearby booth. She and Diego claimed the window seats, Yang sat beside her boyfriend, and Ruby sat next to Luna. It was Diego who eventually broke the silence with a dramatic slurp from his drink, which also so happened to be hot chocolate.

"What?" he asked the others around him, smiling the whole time, "That's how I drink this stuff." He made some more dramatic slurps, causing Yang and Ruby to chuckle a bit. Luna shook her head, amused.

"So you two know where the others are at, by chance? I didn't see anyone on my way back to the house, nor on our way back out," she asked, gesturing towards Diego to emphasize the 'our'. She took a hearty sip of her drink, mouth tingling pleasantly from the mint.

"Come to think of it... no," Ruby noted. "I haven't seen anyone."

"Same here," Yang replied, a bit concerned.

"Why do I have the feeling that this is only for plot convenience?" Diego asked. "Seriously, isn't that a little too convenient?"

"Yeah," Luna said, her tone growing uneasy. Taking another slurp from her drink, the hairs on the back of her neck and tail stood on end, and a sudden chill went down her spine. She stood from her seat.

"I hope you guys have plenty of ammo, cuz we need to take this order to go. Something isn't right," she said urgently.

The others nodded and stood to their feet. Diego then looked around and seemed to be sensing something. His eyes glowed a sickly red and Ruby took a few steps away from him. Yang, on the other hand, didn't seem to react to his new change at all.

"There's something coming," he said aloud, "It's a Grimm, but it's really large. Less than five miles away."

The second he said that was when they heard it: a deafening, high-pitched, gravelly roar thundering across the city. Now on high alert, her tail swaying wildly behind her, Luna was immediately out the door and scrambling up the wall to the rooftop. When she reached the top and looked around, she felt like throwing up her coffee at the very sight of the beast in the sky. She swore under her breath.

"By the Gods..." Down below, she heard the little bell ring over the door as her three friends followed her out.

"I thought that thing was incapacitated back at Beacon!" Ruby shouted, "How is it-"

"It's not the same one," Diego stated.

"What?" Yang and Ruby both looked to him.

"It has different vitals, and it also gives off a different energy. At the same time though, it is the same one that attacked Beacon."

Diego just then seemed to register something. "Oh no. TD, please tell me you were joking!"

Luna couldn't move from her current position, completely paralyzed with horror. It wasn't until the giant Wyvern gave another mighty roar and flew in their direction that she snapped out of her stupor. She leaped off the roof just as it passed overhead, and landed beside the trio. As the beast flew over, a large glob of ink-black residue fell from its titanic body and splattered onto the pavement, nearly the size of a large pond.

Luna at first believed perhaps the Grimm was wounded, but that theory went out the window quickly. The ground shaking violently, another large body emerged from the black pit. This one, however, was long and slim, and the center of the mass then faded to white flesh. It's upper body landing with a thud, the King Taijitu gave a deafening hiss, while Beowolves and Creeps crawled out of the pit alongside it. The lesser Grimm immediately scattered to the streets, going after the panicked citizens. The enormous serpent, however, gazed upon the group of Huntsman. Diego glared at the serpent and it seemed to regard Diego with both curiosity and something Luna hadn't thought to be possible for a Grimm to feel: fear.

"Go away!" Diego yelled at it, his eyes still glowing, "Haven't you guys troubled us enough?"

The serpent was silent, then suddenly struck at him with lightning speed. However, Diego somehow managed to dodge the strike and then landed a single blow to its head, killing it instantly. He then looked to the others.

"It didn't respond to me," he said, "They aren't connected to Salem- the Salem in this Remnant!"

Ruby meanwhile was calling on her scroll.

"Guys! We have a problem!" Ruby shouted at the Scroll.

"Well then, time to do this the old-fashioned way!" Luna drew Silver Moon as she said this. A Creep ran towards her, but she ended it quickly by shoving her now naginata down its throat. The creature fell dead at her feet and began evaporating. Not a second later, she leaped at a Beowolf terrorizing a group of civilians. Yang and Ruby followed her example, rushing into the hordes of Grimm and striking left and right among their ranks. Diego stood there for a moment longer before he too joined the fray. However, it was noted that the lesser Grimm tended to try and avoid him unless they had an Alpha or bigger Grimm nearby. His very presence seemed to be something they feared with a passion.

Another Grimm now dead at her feet, Luna felt the rapid vibrations in the group suddenly grow stronger. Glancing to her right, a Deathstalker was charging down the street, pincers swinging. With an excited grin, she charged for the giant scorpion Grimm.

Once she was within distance of the beast, it stuck its pincers out to grab at her. Managing to slip through its grip, she fell to the ground and slid beneath the Grimm, slicing her blade through the lining in its abdominal armor. It screeched with pain, scurrying away in the opposite direction. By the time she was back on her feet and charging again, the Deathstalker had turned back around to face her. With a skilled throw, she sent Silver Moon flying like a javelin. The weapon sank into one of the monster's many eyes, causing it once again to cry out. In retaliation, it struck its stinger towards the wolf Faunus with lightning speed. Luna jumped to the side, and the appendage dug deep into the street. Seeing an opportunity, she jumped onto the tail just as the Deathstalker managed to free itself and was carried right over the scorpion's body. She dropped down onto its head.

She knew the Grimm couldn't reach her with its tail from this position. She still had to be wary of those sharp pincers as she reached for her weapon. Dodging a swipe, she quickly reached over and yanked Silver Moon from the Grimm's socket. The creature shifted around wildly, trying to remove the girl from where it couldn't reach. Moving swiftly, Luna once more attacked the eyes of the Deathstalker, stabbing down while managing to keep her balance on the thrashing monster.

Going for the sixth and final eye, Silver Moon struck true, and the Grimm thrashed about even harder now that it could no longer see. Trying to stay steady, the she-wolf went flying when one of the scorpion's powerful pincers managed to swap her off its head. She crashed through the wall of a building that was in the middle of construction, debris and supplies surrounding her when she landed. She shook off the dizzy spell and got to her feet, almost tripping over a pile of chains. She had a stupid, crazy idea.

Gathering up the long chain, she ran towards the blind Grimm for a final attempt to turn this fight into their favor. The beast heard the rattling of the chains, and turned in her direction just as she'd hoped. It attempted a blind attack with its stinger. Using her trick from earlier, she grabbed the tail just as the scorpion reeled it back. Working quickly, she lassoed the chain over the raised stinger and secured it around the lower section of the tail. With the two ends free, she quickly lassoed those onto the outer parts of the Grimm's pincers. Holding the chains tightly, Luna gave them a mighty tug, their positioning forcing the Deathstalker to blindly move forward.

With a loud whoop, the blue-eyed Faunus cheered, "Onward, scaly!" With the giant scorpion now somewhat under her guidance, she charged down the street, yanking on its chained pincers to move it in a jagged serpentine pattern. This allowed her to use the Grimm to crush and slice down the herd of lessers much faster. If this wasn't currently a matter of life and death for her, her friends, and the Kingdom, Luna would be having the time of her life right now!

She saw Diego, Yang and Ruby up ahead dealing with a clan of Ursai along with their own Deathstalker. Luckily, this one was smaller than the one she was currently riding through the city on. With a wild glint in her eyes, she yanked the chains hard to the left, and rammed her Grimm hard into the much smaller one, along with managing to crush a number of Ursai. Glancing over at her friends, she whooped again and laughed loudly at their shocked faces and dropped jaws.

The wolf Faunus cried out as she breezed past them, "Don't try this at home kids!" And with that, she continued on her rampage through the sea of Grimm, thankfully managing to avoid innocent citizens.

"Whoa," Yang said aloud.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Ruby shouted, "I can't believe we've never met her before yesterday! She should totally hang out with us more often!"

Diego chuckled. "Maybe that can be arranged, after this fight."

Just then, the sirens were heard going off in the city, as the threat was finally starting to become more public. The speakers reported it as a Threat Level 9 Grimm attack and warning the people to remain calm. Of course, they did the exact opposite and instead panicked. Diego sighed as some civilians rushed past him.

"Stay calm, they say," he said sarcastically, "Sure! I'll stay calm while a freaking monster rushes at me with the intention of tearing me apart limb by limb."

Suddenly, he felt a pain in his head and cried out, holding his head. Hearing this, the girls looked back at him and noticed his condition.

"Diego?" Ruby asked with concern. Yang was also concerned, but she also seemed to know what was about to happen to him.

"Oh no..." she remarked.

Satisfied with her work, Luna pulled back hard on the 'reins' of her 'steed' so as to avoid crashing into a grocery store. "Whoa!" She cried out, mocking a southern Valen accent. "Whoa, Betsy! Easy, ol' girl! Easy." With the Deathstalker somewhat still, the wolf Faunus drew Silver Moon, whose blade was now glowing-red hot due to the Burn Dust forged into the blade. Continuing with the mocked accent, "Well ol' girl, it's been fun, but Mama's got some major ass to go kick." She shoved the flaming hot naginata blade deep into the chink of the head armor, quickly finishing off the massive scorpion. She jumped off its armored body as it evaporated away. She sniffed the air, catching a horrible smell of burnt Grimm flesh. Grimacing, she said, "Phew! That cow was rotten! Alrighty then, time to get serious again."

Luna started back down the street towards her friends, but halted in her tracks at what she was now witnessing.

 _Is this what Diego was talking about, with his powers?..._

Diego's eyes turned a sickly red, and they started glowing. He was growling, as if trying to hold something back.

"Girls... there's too much... fear," he struggled to speak, "Get... back..."

With a roar of pain, Diego's image suddenly changed dramatically. His skin became a black color, with his face a bone white color. Claws extended out of his hands, and large spikes grew out along his arms and spine. He now looked very intimidating, possibly more intimidating than any of the creatures in the area. However, unlike most Grimm, his eyes stayed a red color. While his general form was still human-like, ta was no longer what stood before them.

Standing before them was a Grimm, and it was ready to attack.

Ruby looked scared and started backing away from him, but this only seemed to attract his attention towards her. His eyes fixed on her and he seemed to be holding back, as if trying not to go for her. Yang, however, did something unexpected. She rushed over to him and grabbed the creature's hand.

"Diego!" she called to him, causing the Grimm to turn its eyes to her. However, when it did, it seemed to calm down and relax.

"Diego," Yang said again, this time softer, "It's okay. You're going to be fine."

She then hugged the Grimm tightly, catching both it and her sister off guard. Eventually, it spoke in a now-dark, yet still recognizable voice.

"Yang..." it said. The golden haired Huntress looked up into its face and nodded. Silent, the Grimm reached out with one hand and ran it through her hair. Uncharacteristically, Yang didn't make an effort to stop him; she didn't even flinch. Instead, she gave the creature a warm smile. Then suddenly it too hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry," it said, "The fear... it's making me..."

"I know," she replied softly, "But I'm here for you. Doesn't that help?"

The Grimm looked back at her, then nodded as a smile of some kind formed on its face.

Luna meanwhile stood several feet away, confused beyond belief of what she should possibly do. Her natural instincts were screaming at her to take out the Grimm like she should, but another part kept reminding her that that Grimm was her friend. She had been skeptical about him having these kind of powers, truthfully not really believing him when he had told her. But now that she's seen it with her own eyes...what could she do? Does she attack? Does she not attack?

Mind racing, the silver wolf didn't even notice she was breathing heavily, fear creeping into her eyes and her tail twitching wildly. Not until Diego turned around and locked those burning red eyes onto her shaking form. Startled, Luna raised Silver Moon in preparation to defend herself if necessary. But whether it was Yang's presence keeping the Grimm in check or simply that his mind had been returned to normal, the Grimm made no move towards her.

"Luna?" the Grimm asked.

 _He can talk?!_ Her grip on her staff tightened, making her trembling more noticeable. Keeping her caution filled eyes glued on the Grimm, she approached them slowly, not lowering her weapon.

Even though he never moved, this still did nothing to ease the she-wolf's nerves.

"Wha...what are you?" She asked breathily.

The Grimm chuckled. "Not the best look for me, is it?" When he got no response, he sighed and said, "Maybe this will help?"

Just then, he made some dramatic slurping noises, which for some reason actually sounded silly.

"What?" the Grimm asked, repeating his sentence from some time earlier, "That's how I drink this stuff."

Yang started to giggle, and Ruby nearby seemed to snap out of her trance.

"Diego?" she asked. "Is it really...?"

"It's me. Unfortunate, hey Red Riding Hood?" the Grimm said to her.

Luna wasn't as amused, her mind still boggled at this latest revelation. "What are you?" She demanded, raising her voice. Hearing a Creep running towards her from behind, sensing her fear, she drew Solstice and fired a shot blindly, nailing it in the head. All without taking her eyes off of Diego. Or...what was Diego.

"Impressive," he said to her. Just then, the roar of the Wyvern was heard again, rather close to the group nearby. Looking up, Diego just managed to see another dark glob descend upon them, releasing several Beowolves. They all howled and looked to Luna and Ruby. Diego -or what was Diego- looked to the Beowolves and a threatening growl emitted from his form. The Beowolves, including their Alpha, immediately whimpered and started to run away from him like frightened dogs. They never made it, for a few shots from Ruby's rifle and some energy blasts from the human-Grimm's hands disintegrated the Beowolves. Luna glared at the giant Grimm terrorizing the kingdom from the air. She looked back to her friends, glacier-like eyes burning with a mixture of fear, anger and determination.

"How do we stop that thing? You said you did it before, how do we do it now?" She asked, her tail wagging wildly from the adrenaline pumping violently through her system.

"I'm not sure!" Ruby stated, "I only did it with my Silver Eyes, and I don't know how to activate them again!"

Diego looked up at the creature, then looked to Yang, and then Luna.

"I need you guys to keep it distracted," he said, "If I can get close enough, I'll be able to take it down."

"And exactly how do you propose we do that?" Luna asked incredulously. "An entire Kingdom is currently in a state of panic, that thing isn't gonna turn it's head just for a few Huntsman!"

"Actually... you have a point there," Diego said in realization. "I doubt that the Wyvern would actually go for you unless he thought you were actually a threat to him."

Luna glanced back at the monster as it gave another mighty roar. She watched it carefully, then stopped her gaze on the mountain that held the upper-class and Huntsman Academy of Mistral. That's when it hit her.

"Come on!" She called to her new teammates...no, yes. They were her teammates now. They all were. She took off running down the street. Diego, Yang and Ruby struggled to see her - much less keep up with her - as they tried to work through the crowd of panicked citizens.

* * *

 **Well, this was actually quite fun!**

 **"For you maybe..."**

 **Luna: Oh you bet your ass it was! That was freaking awesome!**

 **Chey (Luna's author): Glad to know I could allow you to have fun in a time of peril.**

 **Luna: Was that sarcasm? I know you're not being sarcastic with me!**

 **Chey: *ignoring Luna* And thanks to you two for letting on join in on this ^_^ it's a lot of fun!**

 **Luna: I'm talking to you!**

 **"It's okay, Wolfie. He ignores me too."**

 **Darn right I do! Well, in a classic ending to this chapter... TD, you may have the honors.**

 **"T-t-that's all folks!"**


	4. Aftermath of the Wyvern

**"And, we're back fillies and gentlecolts!"**

 **Wrong story, TD.**

 **"Oh... shoot!"**

 **Luna: "I'll go ahead and add my two cents. Wassup, studs and bitches! Welcome back!"**

 **Chey: Was that necessary?**

 **Luna: "Yes. He addressed horses for some reason, so I figured I should address my own. *gives tail a wag for emphasis* Seems fair, yeah?"**

 **Chey: Whatever you say. Hey again fellow readers! Time for another chapter!**

 **"Well, I don't know about great..."**

 **Ignore him as we continue, for he knows not what he says.**

* * *

Luna briefly looked back over her shoulder, and sighed irritably at seeing her friends falling behind.

"Come on!" She repeated loudly, hoping her command would reach them over the screaming of the city's occupants running for cover. Not waiting for a reply, or for them to catch up, she continued on her path.

"Luna, wait up!" Ruby called, rushing as fast as she could after the wolf Faunus. Diego the Grimm, and Yang followed after, though they seemed to be falling behind. Crowds only seemed to panic some more upon seeing Diego, although his presence did seem to keep any further Grimm in the area from getting close. Eventually, Diego ended up retracting some of the spikes on his body and lifting Yang into his arms before running at a full sprint after Luna and Ruby. This seemed to work, although the crowds were still a problem and the Wyvern's roar from above did little to help calm the crowds.

Growing impatient of weaving through the stampede, Luna jumped and grabbed the edge of the rooftop of a nearby noodle shop. She pulled herself up and took off again. Like earlier during her race against Diego, she lowered herself onto all fours and began climbing up the inclining mountain. First it was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, then came scaling the mountainside itself. If there was one thing the silver wolf prided herself on - aside from her incredible speed, endurance and battle prowess - it was her climbing capabilities. She didn't have claws like a wolf, but being able to scale almost any surface this quickly and efficiently without them made her feel even more dangerous.

Further behind, even with her Semblance and Crescent Rose, Ruby still struggled to keep up with the silver she-wolf. And just behind her was Diego with Yang. Panting, they watched amazed as their new friend seemed to almost fly up the peak of Mistral, not showing any sign of exhaustion or of slowing down.

"Wait up, you overly-excited canine!" Diego called up.

"Diego, don't be rude to her," Yang scolded, "Although I will admit, it is quite annoying."

Several feet above them, Luna finally stopped with a frustrated, impatient sigh. She looked back down at the trio.

"We have to hurry! We may not get another chance!" She said, raising her voice so they'd hear her better. Her patience was already gone, but she stayed in place to allow her friends to get closer.

Once they did, Yang managed to ask, "Care to explain the game-plan?"

"I'm thinking of one idea," Diego stated, "But let's hear her first because mine might not be too hot."

Luna had started climbing again once they had reached her, albeit at a slower pace for them to keep up. "I'll explain everything once we get up there," she insisted. "But all you need to know right now - long shot in the dark - that thing is targeting the CCT tower next to Haven Academy. We need to get there before it does."

Diego looked thoughtful at this- or as thoughtful as a Grimm can get- and then he spoke. "If you had said that earlier, I could've given you a boost. In fact, I can still do so. Just tell me where to send ya."

Ruby looked at Luna and asked, "Uh, can you survive moving at terminal velocity speeds or something?"

Luna rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I don't know, and now is not the time or place to find out. Try and keep up this time," was all the warning she gave before she returned to her previous speeds, zooming up the near-vertical mountainside. Suddenly, something whooshed past her in the air with a loud "Wahoo!", then a second object that screamed, "I said to warn me next tiiiiimmmmeee!" The two objects latched onto the side of the mountain several leagues above her, revealing themselves as Ruby and Yang, with the first looking annoyed and a little freaked out. Shortly after, a third image whooshed past Luna and joined them, and she needed no explanation of who it was. Diego latched onto the mountainside with his hands, then some spikes came out of his feet and anchored him to the side. In this fashion, he grabbed Yang and threw her back upwards and onwards. He was about to repeat this with Ruby, but she quickly stopped him.

"I think I'll take my chances with the wolf, if you don't mind," she said. Diego nodded, then retracted the spikes in his feet as he grabbed a ledge and launched himself upwards to Yang's position, no doubt to repeat the cycle he had going. At the speeds they were all going, they finally reached the peak of the mountain within seconds. Standing before them was Haven Academy, along with its exposed CCT tower. For a moment, Luna allowed a wave of nostalgia to roll over her as she gazed at the school. That wave lasted only a second, before she turned to Ruby.

"Contact the others. Tell them to stay on the line, and to be ready when the time comes," she commanded.

Ruby nodded, then pulled out her scroll and called Jaune.

"Jaune! Tell the others to stay on the line! Luna's got an idea!" she hollered.

"What exactly are you guys doing?!" he shouted back on his end, "And please tell me that thing on the side of the mountain wasn't Diego!"

"Sadly, yes," Ruby muttered.

Luna spoke up over her shoulder. "Is everyone there?" She received a variety of affirmative answers. "Alright. You guys keep doing what you're doing down there for now. Keep your eyes on that giant Grimm though. And once you see it fall out of the sky, get to it quickly and give it Hell!" Luna turned away and walked back to the edge, ignoring the many questions and comments exploding from Ruby's scroll.

"What do you mean when it 'falls out of the sky'?!" Yang asked incredulously from the other side of her.

Luna simply replied, "Just what I said." Her eyes were glued on the flying monster that had now turned its attention to the mountain they were standing on. The air was deafened with the screams of terrified Mistralians and the roars coming from the giant Grimm, which was now circling the mountain and making its way up.

"When I say, we jump," she said out-of-the-blue.

"You're crazy!" Yang shouted.

"No, I'm crazy!" Diego corrected, temporarily sounding like normal as he got ready to jump, "She's brilliant!"

"Uh, mind filling me in?" Ruby asked, her tone nervous.

Luna remained stone-faced, never moving her gaze from her target. "If we make it, I'll paralyze it. I'm hoping it's stupid enough to think that it's dead when that happens and it'll just fall. Whether it does or not, there's where you guys come in. Once I have it blinded, go for the wings. Once it's grounded, it won't be able to get away if it can't fly. That's where the others will come in and give that thing Hell," she explained, instinctively lowering into a crouch as she waited for the right moment to jump. Ruby nodded, then looked to Diego, who looked ready to pounce at any moment.

"Give it a few knocks to the head just in case," she stated to him.

"Oh trust me, that'll be the least of its worries," he said back. Yang said nothing, but simply stared at the Wyvern without fear. Her hands had already clenched up into fists and her hair was glowing slightly.

"No," Luna said, "I need you three on the wings and tail. I need to be the only one near the head. If any of you get caught in my Vapor, it'll be disastrous for us and the plan."

"I call the right wing!" Diego shouted.

"Guess I'm going for the left then," Yang stated bluntly.

Ruby sighed, "And I get what's leftover."

"Get ready..." Luna directed, lowering herself further to the ground. The Grimm was now a few hundred yards away from the peak, and it had picked up speed during its spiral ascend. "Steady..." The Grimm made one final pass below them before Luna cried out, "Now!" They all leaped over the edge, Yang and Ruby using their weapons' gun functions to propel themselves forward.

For the first several seconds of falling, Luna felt her childhood fear of heights weigh down on her stomach. The mountain peak was several hundred meters taller than the cliff she had leapt from earlier that day, and the fact that there was nothing between her and the ground below made it worsen. But for once, the she-wolf was thankful for her own fear, as it led to the flying Grimm to pick up speed as it came back from around the mountain.

"Watch those spines!" She warned her teammates, shouting above the wind whistling in her ears. Nearing the beast with every half-second, Luna turned her body into position mid-air, from falling face-first to feet-first. She braced herself for impact, her friends doing the same. They all landed on the Wyvern's back, managing to avoid the spines that lined its...well, spine. The beast roared as its body was suddenly tossed about before righting itself.

The Grimm wasn't flying steady for them to maintain their balance for long, and the wind wasn't helping. They needed to do this fast.

"Go, go, go!" She commanded, her teammates running off to do their assigned jobs.

Diego was the first, using his own Grimm claws and spikes to steady himself as he crawled along. When he reached the right wing, he extended his claws further and sliced the wing right at the point where it connected to its body. He almost sliced it clean through to the other side. The Wyvern roared in pain as its flight was suddenly thrown off. Soon, a rather nasty punch to its left wing altered its course even more and a stabbing pain in its tail didn't help either.

Luna had to get down and crawl on her belly towards the monster's head in order to avoid the backwards facing spikes that nearly impaled her when it tossed its head back with a pained roar. Now on the neck and hopefully out of harms way, she used her legs to keep a somewhat grip on the Grimm while she extended her hands out. Feeling a familiar tug deep in her gut, she let her black Vapor flow. Not wanting the wind to possibly blow it backwards towards her friends, she used a little extra Aura manipulation to keep the Vapor on the monster's skin as it crawled up the head and began to surround the face.

Like she had hoped, the beast initially thrashed around as its vision suddenly went black. Along with its ability to hear, smell and feel. Then it just went limp, and began its crash course towards the streets below. Glancing over her shoulder, she was happy to see that a majority of the tail was gone, and the thin skin on the wings in shreds. The ground was almost upon them, seemingly racing towards them at 100 miles per second.

"Brace yourselves!" She yelled, releasing her Vapor from the Grimm so as to prep her Aura to absorb the shock of the crash.

Ruby immediately jumped off, using Crescent Rose's rifle mode and occasionally her Semblance to slow her descent. Yang jumped towards Diego, who grabbed her hand in time and held her close to him.

"Hang on tight!" he ordered, then he jumped off too. Unlike Ruby, however, he didn't seem to do anything to slow his fall and hit the ground on his back hard. A small crater appeared from where he had crashed, but when the dust settled, he and Yang were still alive. Yang was unhurt, but Diego seemed to be complaining about the landing.

All Luna could do was hang on to the Grimm and pray that whatever Aura she had left would help her survive this. The beast struck the ground violently, and Luna's vision went dark, her body going numb. Her body flew away from the Grimm and skidded along the road for several dozen yards before finally coming to a stop.

It was only several seconds, but to the silver wolf a lifetime seemed to have pass by. Her ears were ringing, her body was aching horrendously, and her vision was blurry. She raised her arm to block the glaring sunlight from her limited vision, yet what she saw slowly brought her stunned mind back into focus. A thin, veiny silver film surrounded her arm, and she presumed the rest of her body - her Aura. It was dangerously low now, right on the brink of complete depletion.

Even with this knowledge, she couldn't find it in herself to move. Her head ached, her body ached, her Aura was exhausted.

 _I need...to help...so...tired...pain..._ were the last things that passed through her mind before she slipped into unconsciousness, darkness and numbness reclaiming her.

When Diego could speak again, the first thing he said to Yang was, "Ow. That hurt."

Yang giggled. "Then next time, do something to slow your fall."

Diego nodded and stood to his feet. By now, the rest of the gang had arrived and was looking to the Wyvern. It roared at them and started to run at them, apparently realizing quickly that flight was no longer an option. Diego reacted fast, firing several spines from his Grimm body into the Wyvern's legs, causing it to stumble and fall.

"Kill it!" he yelled. The others didn't have to be told twice. All at once, they flew in and around the Wyvern, tearing it apart with their weapons. The Wyvern was unable to retaliate nor could it withstand so many blows at once. Needless to say, it was over all too quickly for the giant of a Grimm, and it's eyes soon stopped glowing, signaling that it was now dead. The Grimm that remained in the area all suddenly seemed to think twice about sticking around and ran off, away from the town. At this, Diego suddenly shifted back into his more human-like form, the Grimm side of him disappearing completely. Looking around, he noticed that not too much serious damage had been caused and the gang wasn't missing a single member. However, Diego soon realized what was missing, as well as Yang and Ruby.

"Where's Luna?" they all asked at once.

"Over here!" Jaune called. He was standing over her, using his Semblance to try and give Luna's own a boost. Diego rushed up to her and looked to her condition. He then looked up at his friends.

"Jaune, keep her stable," he ordered, "Yang, get me something to place her on. The rest of you, try to find something useful to do. I ran out of orders to give, so that's the last one you'll hear from me."

Everyone gave an affirmative answer, then rushed off in different directions. Diego looked back to Luna and using his own Semblance he copied Jaune's ability for later use, then looked to Luna's condition.

"I'm not losing another friend, Luna Greyback," he said almost inaudibly, "Not on my watch."

* * *

"How is she?" Yang asked Diego several hours later, the rest of the team gathered around with her. The sun was just setting and Luna was still out cold from the fall she had taken earlier with the Wyvern. Diego had been monitoring her condition the entire time, but he had also made some observations in the process that he wanted to share with the others.

"She'll be fine," Diego said reassuringly. "We managed to get her Aura levels back to a stable level. But I also discovered something interesting about her in that regard." He chuckled, then continued. "The reason she survived the fall and the reason she was in a much better condition on the whole than she should've been, is because her Aura levels are off the charts!"

"What?!" several voices shouted at once.

"It's true," Diego explained, "Her levels of Aura are beyond that of any huntsman or huntress, or anyone else with Aura, including myself. And considering how many blows I can take, that's saying a lot."

"So, do you think all of the huntsmen and huntresses from her Remnant have similar levels?" Blake asked.

"No, they don't," Diego stated.

"Wait, how would you know that?" Weiss demanded.

"I made a small deal with TD," Diego replied sheepishly, "Call me curious."

"A little too curious, maybe," Yang muttered.

"Wow!" Ruby shouted gleefully, "That's so cool! Imagine how many more blows we could afford to take if we had Aura like her own!" She rushed up to Diego and gave a cute expression. "Can we keep her now?"

Diego chuckled. "I wish we could. Heaven knows we all could use more fighters like that. But sadly, that wouldn't bode well for any of us, Ruby."

Ruby looked disappointed for a minute, then she perked up again and said, "Then I'm going to spend as much time with her as possible before she leaves!"

Blake still looked concerned. "But if her Aura saved her after that fall, and it's back to it's normal levels, why hasn't she woken up? I mean, I didn't expect her to wake up right away, but it's been hours," she voiced her thoughts aloud.

"Just because we have Aura, doesn't mean we're immune to pain," came Qrow's reply, drawing the group's attention.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Ozpin jumped into the conversation.

"It's a natural defense mechanism," he clarified. "The body can only withstand so much pain before it shuts down. Of course, tolerance levels vary amongst us, but the result is the same. The brain shuts down and is put into a calm state so that the body can begin it's healing process." He glanced at the sleeping wolf Faunus.

"Like you discovered, her Aura saved her from damaging anything. A fall like that would have killed anyone, even Aura users. She was lucky this time," Qrow scoffed at that. "But I doubt she could withstand another anytime soon. She'll awaken in her own time, but for now I suspect her body is still recovering from the shock."

"I almost wish I could get knocked out," Diego stated, earning a look from everyone else before he finished, "The closest I get is a brief moment of being in the dark, then my stupid curse brings me back. I mean, sure it helps in a fight... but it also makes me feel unnatural. Or more unnatural than I am already."

A snort sounded from the couch.

"Yeah, ain't that the fucking truth!" Every head sharply whipped to the direction of the voice. "And careful what you wish for, Kapila," Luna said with a slightly strained tone, her right arm laying over her eyes and left leg hanging off the couch.

Ruby squealed. "You're awake!"

Diego literally had to keep her from tackling the wolf Faunus with a hug.

"Slow down there, kiddo," he said to her, "She's most likely still trying to recover a bit. Besides, while I understand that you intend no harm, getting hit by a little red missile like you after waking from a fall isn't the best experience."

This seemed to calm Ruby down a little, though she still was extremely glad to see that Luna was okay.

"So, how do you feel?" Weiss asked Luna. The silver she-wolf grunted breathily.

"Head feels like it got stepped on by a Goliath," she replied. "Other than the headache, I just feel drained. Definitely way too much excitement for one day," She uncovered one eye as she spoke. "Wait, what happened with all the Grimm? Is the Kingdom safe?" She fired off rapidly.

"The Grimm all ran off when we took down the Wyvern," Qrow stated with a chuckle. "The fact that Diego was in the area may have helped with that."

"What can I say?" Diego said humorously, "The Grimm tend to think I'm a scary guy. Especially if I'm wearing one of their disguises."

Luna let out a breath she was holding. "Thank the gods," she said, relieved. After another deep breath, she spoke again, "Well, I guess there's only one other thing I need to know." She fully uncovered her tired eyes now, a mischievous smile on her face, "Please tell me you all saw us take that thing down, because I will NOT be doing that again!"

Everyone laughed at that.

"Everyone from the academy and beyond saw it!" Nora mentioned, "Everyone was like, 'Are they crazy?' Then, 'Oh my gosh, they're actually doing it!' And then, 'Hooray! They took it down!'"

Ren looked to Luna and explained, "We had to deal with a crowd of reporters and bystanders afterwards. You're basically a hero here now. We all are."

 _Hero, huh?_ she thought quietly with amusement. _Now there's a word I never thought I'd be described as. Hmph, wonder how much the people would still like their hero once they knew who she worked with._

Luna grinned despite her grim mindset. "Gonna be one hell of a story to tell the grand-kids one day," she stated chuckling, before asking seriously, "What about all of you? Any of you hurt?"

"A few scratches here and there," Oscar stated, "But nothing serious. Unless you count Diego's fall."

"Hey, I can afford to fall from the sky to the point where it'd kill me," Diego pointed out, "I seriously doubt any of you can."

"Yet, one of ours did just that," Qrow remarked, taking a swig from his bottle. It immediately got hit by a dagger flying through the air that stuck it to the wall nearby. Qrow gave Diego a short glare. "That wasn't cheap, Kapila."

"Then wait until the kids are gone, ya drunk loon," Diego countered.

"Or hell, share it since it's out," the silver wolf commented.

"No one here's a drinker last I checked," Neptune commented.

"Unless you count that time when Diego drank one of those flaming martini things," Ruby added.

Diego grimaced. "I hated that. And the fact that I was in Grimm form didn't help either." He shuddered. "Apparently, the Grimm can't hold their drink down at all."

"Please tell me one of you got that on video?" Luna said, intrigued. "Plus after the day we had, I could use a quick drink," she stated, moving to stand, only to be held back by Weiss.

"You need to stay down for a while longer," she insisted firmly. "In case you forgot, you jumped off a mountain and then crash landed a giant Grimm."

"Yes, I know, I was there," the wolf Faunus replied. "And I'm not dead yet, Princess. Nor am I going to be until I am damn good and ready." She then added as an afterthought, "Oh, and there was also that tussle I had with a Deathstalker."

Diego smiled and gently pulled Weiss away from Luna.

"I think it's safe to assume that she's okay to move around. Besides, her aura levels are returning to normal levels. Or normal for her." Diego looked to Luna. "On that note, are you the only one with such levels of Aura? Because it's... incredible. I was speechless when I first figured it out."

The wolf Faunus got to her feet and stretched her arms over head, multiple popping sounds coming from her arms, shoulders and spine, much to the annoyance of Blake, cat ears flattening against her head. Simultaneously, Luna flexed her tail in a similar fashion before giving it quick shake to settle the fur.

"Far as I know of, yeah," she answered. "I don't know why you're so surprised though. Doesn't he have a higher quantity, too?" She asked, pointing at Jaune.

"Well, yeah," Jaune replied, "But your levels are actually a little higher than mine. Plus, I doubt I'd be able to survive the same fall you took."

"And yet you survived a punch from me that kills even Alpha Grimm with a single strike," Diego chuckled.

Luna furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean mine are higher than yours?" She asked, her tone disbelieving.

Diego pulled out his Scroll and showed three colored lines on the screen. One was red, another blue, and a third a silver color.

"This red line represents the Aura you'd usually find in a huntsman or huntress," Diego explained, "This blue one is Jaune's." It was definitely higher than the red line. Then Diego pointed to the silver line... It was much higher than the blue line.

"I had to modify this scanner just to get your readings," Diego said, "They were off the charts used in this Remnant."

"Good gods!" She exclaimed, taking the scroll from Diego's hands. Pressing a few buttons, her Aura was sure enough much higher than everyone present, Jaune and Ozpin especially. Luna opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, trying to get a word out but finding none. Finally, with an incredulous expression, she handed the scroll back to Diego and said, "Well shit, just call me Tough Puppy then!"

Diego chuckled. "Now I'm really glad you're on our side. You'd be able to hold out long enough to deplete my Aura while I'd still be trying to weaken your own."

Luna immediately shook her head. "Schedule an appointment with my assistant, I ain't doing nothing for awhile." She joked. Then suddenly, a loud rumbling came from the Faunus's stomach, her eyes widening at the volume. Looking at an invisible watch, she then said, "I take that back. I scheduled a dinner break a few hours ago, and I'm running late. Wait, what time is it anyway?"

"About that," Yang chuckled, "You've been out for several hours. It's already sunset."

"Past that now," Diego corrected, "It set completely since the time we've stood here worrying over her."

"Well then, the hell we standing around for? There is food to be devoured and table manners to be ignored!" Luna stated, already walking towards the kitchen.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "I agree with only one of those things," she commented.

Luna called back, "Well I hope to the Brothers it's the important one!"

Diego laughed. "Face it Weiss. None of your friends can be as perfect as you want them to be."

Weiss glared at him, but a hint of a smile was on her face. Probably because she knew he was right and she didn't want them to be perfect.

"Ren!" Nora called, "I think you'd better get your apron on fast!"

"You realize I'm standing right here, right?" Ren asked. Nora looked beside her and noticed only now just how close to him she was.

"Oh..." she said, then whispered, "Sorry!"

Luna added, "And not that I don't love your pancakes, Ninja, but is there anything else you can cook?"

* * *

Diego watched as a wall of darkness started surging forward towards his friends, all of whom were either dead or unconscious. He tried to move, to call out, but it was as if he was frozen in place. He watched helplessly as the darkness consumed them, then parted to reveal some Grimm that had taken their place. All except Yang, who had been replaced by the Queen of the Grimm herself. She chuckled wickedly and said, "Are they your friends? Then I shall enjoy killing them all off, one by one, just to watch you suffer! After what you did to us, it's more than you deserve."

It was then that the rouge woke up with a scream.

"NO!" he shouted. He was covered in a cold sweat, and his hearty was pounding heavily. As he gasped for breath, he heard movement nearby but didn't seem to notice it.

"Diego?" Yang's voice whispered, "What happened?"

Footsteps racing through the apartment and Luna appearing in the doorway stopped him from answering right away.

"You both okay? I heard a scream," she asked worriedly, Solstice in hand. She again wore borrowed night clothes: a black spaghetti strap and matching short shorts. Diego looked to them both, taking quick and rapid gasps as he started hyperventilating. His hands also started to shake violently, much like Yang's hands did occasionally, but far worse. Yang didn't waste a minute. She rushed over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, then turned to Luna.

"Luna, I need you to get something from my bag," she ordered calmly, "The last time this happened, he almost went into shock."

Shoving Solstice into the waistband of her shorts, the wolf Faunus quickly asked, "Where is it, and what am I digging for?" Her tail wagged erratically along with her nervous tone.

"Beside my bed," Yang answered, "Hard to miss. And we're looking for anything that'll calm him down. I don't care what it is, just get it here."

She was still acting so calm, even in such a scary situation. Perhaps it was because she couldn't afford to get scared. Not for Diego's sake. Turning around, Luna sprinted down the hallway and made a left into the blonde's room. Sure enough, there was a bright-yellow-and-black travel bag near the foot of the bed. Not sure of what to grab out of it, she decided to just bring the whole thing. Trying to keep her steps light, so as to not disturb the other sleeping occupants, she raced back to Diego's room and gave the pack to Yang.

"I wasn't sure what to get, so I brought it all," she explained, her voice slightly winded. Yang nodded and grabbed the bag, searching through it rapidly. She finally pulled out a needle and winced at the sight.

"Oh, this is gonna hurt," she muttered, then jabbed it into Diego's arm. The Rogue yelped a little, but did nothing to stop the injection. When Yang pulled the needle out, his condition improved enough for his panic attack to reach an all-time low.

"Th-thanks... I-I needed- that..." he said between gasps.

"What the hell was that? I've woken out of a dead sleep scared shitless from nightmares before, but this? Gods above..." she muttered incredulously, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

"That would be a dream from Salem," Yang replied, a little angry, "And after she had promised not to try that again with him. Why we decided to take her word for that-"

"No... not her," Diego stammered, "Different. Other Salem."

Yang's face suddenly turned pale at the realization.

"Luna..." she said in a whisper, "...your Salem."

Covering her face in frustration, the silver wolf fell onto her back across the foot of the bed. "Son of a female Beowolf..." she mumbled.

"That's not what scared me," Diego stated bluntly, catching their attention. "She... knew about you. All of you, including Luna. She..." He started sobbing. "She said she was gonna kill you all!" He buried his face into Yang's shoulder, catching her off guard for a moment. "I already lost my first family! I don't want to lose another!"

Yang gave a small, sad smile and gently hugged the rogue closer to her.

"Don't worry, I've got you," she whispered, "I'm here for you."

Luna rolled onto her stomach and gave his lower leg a comforting pat. "Alright, Kapila, I'm gonna tell you this one more time. And I hope you're listening, 'cause I'm not gonna say it again a fourth: I am not dying until I am damn good and ready," she repeated, poking his leg firmly with each of the last four words. "I've encountered and escaped Death more times than someone my age should, and I will continue to spit in that bastard's face and walk away with a proud smile. And I will gladly do the same with both Salems," she stated. "And I know your teammates would say the same. Albeit, worded differently," she chuckled with a playful wink.

Diego only nodded, seemingly comforted a little bit by hearing this. He then whispered to Yang, "Don't leave me, please. I... I don't know if I-"

She stopped him with a smile. "I won't," she replied, then to Luna, "Care to give the others an explanation if they wake before we do in the morning? I don't want Qrow to get the wrong impression."

The silver she-wolf stretched her arms above her head. "Eh, I'm sure you'll be fine, so long as you're both clothed if or when someone walks in," she joked with a mischievous grin.

"True, but still... it might help," Yang added. She hugged Diego tightly to her and he hugged her back. One of his hands started running through her hair, but much like earlier when he was a Grimm, she did nothing to stop him. Instead, she just smiled softly at him. She looked up to Luna one last time and said, "I never did say this before.. but thank you. For helping him out yourself when he was troubled earlier today."

Luna nodded as she turned to leave. "My dad used to always say, 'the strength of the Wolf is the Pack'. I made damn sure to take that to heart," she said, a hint of pride creeping into her tone. Yang smiled again, then slowly lay down on the bed, keeping Diego close to her the whole time. Soon, a light snoring could be heard from one of the other and silence crept over the building once more.

* * *

 **Aww! That was a cute ending for me. And emotional to an extent.**

 **"Eh, I've seen-"**

 **Don't you dare, TD.**

 **Luna: "It was cute, but yeah, I've seen better, too."**

 **Chey: Can you say anything nice?**

 **Luna: "I said it was cute."**

 **Chey: *sigh* Anyways, it's good to see that these two can get along :) I can't tell ya how many girls there are where I live that get so pissed when other attractive females so much as look at their boyfriends XD think we should have another scene with these two soon?**

 **I'm game. Also, it wouldn't hurt to get Luna a match-**

 **"Oh no! She already hates my guts in the story almost as much as she does in reality! She'll definitely pin it on me like there's no tomorrow! Especially since I'm in the next chapter."**

 **Luna: "Um, in case you weren't reading, I just helped bring down a freaking Dragon! I'm taking a break, forget matches."**

 **Chey: How do you know he didn't mean a different kind of match? XD**

 **Luna: "No to both kinds!"**

 **Too late! Already on my mind!**

 **"*sigh* Wow, and I thought I took things too far. Cya in the next chapter fellas! You too, Wolfie!"**

 **Luna: "Terror, I swear to the Brothers, if yo-"**

 ***broadcast cuts off***


	5. Happy Birthday maybe?

The first thing Diego heard upon waking was Qrow's drunken voice saying, "You're lucky the wolf's word can be trusted Kapila. Otherwise, I'd have sliced you in half by now."

Diego sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering what Qrow meant. Until he noticed the still-sleeping form of Yang beside him. At this, he simply chuckled and replied, "What? And mine's not? Again, I'm not that kind of guy, Qrow."

"Correction! You're a patient one, but every male wants the same thing at some point!" He heard Luna comment from the kitchen. "I just managed to convince him to let you eat first before he kicks your ass!"

"Language!" Weiss scolded.

"Not cool, Greyback," Qrow called back.

"Oh, just go get drunk somewhere," Diego scolded, "Before I turn you into Grimm food."

Qrow sighed and started walking off, stopping only long enough to give him a "watching you" gesture.

"As if I need him watching me," Diego muttered, walking into the kitchen, "I'd be older than him if not for the curse."

As soon as he was within her sights, the silver she-wolf grinned widely.

"Sleep well, Kapila? Looked pretty cozy," she teased, eyes bright with mischief.

"I did sleep well," Diego stated, "And I forgot to say it before, but thank you. I'm pretty sure I would've gone into shock had you not helped out." He shuddered. "I still hate those things."

Luna simply nodded. "Course," she said before taking a sip of her coffee. "By the way, you might wanna get Blondie up soon. 'Cause I don't know how much longer we can keep Pinky over here from going for fourths," She eyed Nora carefully as she said this.

"Oh don't worry," Diego said with a smirk, "I think she's gonna get more than what she bargained for."

As he said this, Nora started for one of the plates, but then shrieked as a Grimm Beowolf the size of an olive appeared next to the plate and started attacking her hand. Diego laughed at this.

"Good boy, Finger Bitter!" he managed between laughs. Luna went to laugh out loud, only to remember too late that she was in the process of swallowing hot coffee. She snorted and coughed as the hot drink shot through her nasal cavity and out her nose, so she clamped a hand over her face. The group laughed even harder.

"Dammit, Kapila!" she exclaimed, still heartily laughing. "Don't do that while I'm eating or drinking! You nearly killed me!"

Still holding her hand over her nose, the wolf Faunus went to the paper towels to clean the mess she had just made.

"Hey, Finger Bitter's the one who decided to attack," Diego protested, still laughing. Nora, despite her fright earlier, was laughing herself.

"Okay, you've made your point!" she exclaimed, "I won't be trying that again!"

Wiping her face and top down, Luna retorted, "Oh, and just where did Finger Biter come from? He just so happened to conveniently be guarding the food just as soon as you or I said something, right?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"He's been there since last night before I went to bed," Diego stated in defense of the tiny Grimm.

"I find that hard to believe," a sleepy voice said from behind him. Diego turned to see that Yang was now awake. Although judging from the condition her hair was in, it had been very recent.

"Good morning, Nest-For-Hair," Diego joked, "How was your nap?"

Yang gave him a playful glare. "Oh, I'm so getting you back for that one."

"He's right, though," Luna commented, chuckling. "We already found a Beowolf over here. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Nevermore laying eggs on your head, Blondie."

"Hey Diego!" Nora called, having lost her laugh, "Not that you should be concerned or anything, but I think someone's trying to steal your lunchbox with a string and magnet."

Confused, Diego and Yang both walked closer to the kitchen. Sure enough, a string with a magnet attached to a lunchbox was being raised skyward. Diego gave the string a yank, releasing the hold of the magnet and sending it skyrocketing up to the ceiling... but there was no hole it had come from. And the magnet simply phased through the roof. A loud smack was heard, followed by someone groaning in pain, then crashing into several objects, and finally a figure crashed through the roof and into the living room. The figure stood up and he was wearing a familiar face.

"I'm okay!" the boy said enthusiastically, until he noticed the gang, "Oh wait, no! I'm NOT okay! I'm boned! I'm- I'm sleepwalking!" He did an obviously false sleepwalk. "TD's sleeping. And walking. He's totally innocent!"

Luna started rapidly shaking her head and walked towards the coffee machine. "Nope, nope, nope, nope," she muttered under her breath. "I'm taking a break after yesterday. But if you guys want to get in some shots, be my guests."

With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, she leaned against the counter-top, not paying the entity any mind.

"Well that's just rude, Wolfie," TD stated, "I at least expected you to kick my butt. After all, that's what you wanted to do to me in the last chapters, wasn't it?"

Diego didn't say a word, but simply punched TD in the face. It would've been satisfying, if TD's head hadn't spun a full 360 three times afterwards.

"OOOWWW!" TD complained as he stopped his head with his free hand, "That actually hurt, Kapila! All I wanted to do was give you this card!"

This seemed to make Diego freeze in place.

"A... what?" he sounded dumbfounded.

"I'm so mentally exhausted right now, Ponyboy, that Salem herself could be standing in this room, and I honestly wouldn't care," she mumbled, taking a sip of coffee.

"Careful what you wish for, Puppy," TD replied, then looked to Diego. "I got the card for a special occasion. I mean, after all..." his smile grew even bigger, but whether out of cheekiness or something else was unclear. "...Everyone deserves a card for their birthday."

The room went completely silent at that, except for a quiet comment from Qrow, who had returned just in time to hear that.

"Oh dear..." he muttered, "Big mistake, kid."

"Birthday?" Yang asked, looking to Diego. The rouge was looking to TD, his fists balled up and shaking a little. TD didn't seem at all fazed.

 _I'm sensing another emotionally scarring backstory coming along,_ Luna thought as she watched the scene unfold. She then chose to speak up, "So I'm guessing wishing you a happy birthday wouldn't be a good thing, or something?"

Diego suddenly snatched whatever card TD had been offering into his hands in one swift motion.

"What's the point?" he asked, clearly upset but not at them, "I can't age, so that got thrown out the window years and years ago! And you!" He got into TD's face, "YOU decide that it's a good idea to bring me a card?!"

TD didn't seem at all intimidated. "Why not?"

"Because it's pointless!" Diego shouted.

"You're lying," TD said bluntly, "I can tell you're lying!"

"SHUT UP!" Diego's voice suddenly amplified and his eyes started glowing.

"Diego, stop!" Yang ordered, grabbing his arm to pull him back if need be. Thankfully, it never came to that. Diego slowly calmed down and then pulled away from Yang.

"I'll be out training, if you're wondering where I'll be," he muttered, leaving through the window.

"Jeez, what's got him steaming?" TD asked, as if clueless. The response was a punch to the face from Yang. "OW!"

"You deserved that," The silver she-wolf stated, finishing her coffee. Placing the empty mug on the counter, she loaded Solstice before holstering it and double-checking that Silver Moon was already on her hip. "Well, time for me to do the chasing now, I guess." She stepped up to the window Diego had leaped from. "You guys go ahead and get in some morning practice. We got a volunteer target," she said, nodding towards TD. "Get in a few hits for me, will ya, Blondie?"

Following Yang's nod, and the sound of multiple pairs of knuckles cracking, the silver wolf jumped out the window and took off in search of her angered friend.

Yang looked to TD, who sighed and actually seemed legitimately sorry.

"Look, I just wanted to do him a favor, okay?" TD stated, "I'm not heartless."

"Maybe," Yang said, cracking her knuckles, "But I'm still pummeling you to a pulp."

All TD could do was say, "Mother," very weakly as the golden haired girl advanced closer...

* * *

Diego waited until he was sure that no one had followed him, then took a closer look at the card in his hands. It was a very simple card, with a corny "Happy Birthday" written on it, as well as a message from TD himself. It basically said him what anyone expected it to say, with the exception of some glitter spouting out of a compartment on the top of the card. Diego looked to it closer, then a small smile crossed his face along with a few tears.

"You're wrong again, you know," came a familiar voice. Turning, Diego found Luna perched comfortably in a nearby tree, tail swaying lazily below her.

"What do you want?" he asked, a little too harshly. He then sighed and started over. "What are you doing here?" he asked, more gently.

"Well since you asked so nicely, I want to be able to live my life without having to look over my shoulder every 2 seconds. But I clearly have no choice in the matter, especially now," she answered. Sliding off the branch, she crossed her arms and leaned against the tree trunk. "As for what I'm doing here, I'm here to once again be the voice of reason, if necessary. Now then, I have a question: what are 'you' doing here?"

Diego sighed. "I don't know. I'm not even sure why I freaked out on him. Wait... nevermind, I know. He's a jerk sometimes." He managed a small smile. "Don't tell him this, but I'm actually glad he bothered to give me a card. I- I haven't had a birthday for... almost one hundred years."

"You mean you haven't celebrated it in almost a century," The she-wolf corrected. "You always have a birthday, just like you always age. Curse or no curse."

"Whatever," Diego mentioned, "I've tried to hide that for awhile... but you can see how that ended." He groaned and punched a wall. "Why can't TD mind his own business for once?"

"I've been asking myself that very same thing from the second I met the douche," she replied with an exaggerated exhale. "But at the same time, I'm kinda glad he can't keep his nose to himself. Wouldn't have met all of you if he hadn't." She smiled softly.

"Eh, I'll give him that," Diego agreed. He looked to Luna. "Feel free to take action about my... problem if you feel like it. Just between us, I'd actually appreciate the gesture."

Luna nodded her head in the direction of the marketplace. "Here, come on," she said. "I'll buy ya the prettiest muffin at that cafe we went to yesterday, and we can stick a candle or two in it."

Diego chuckled and stood to his feet. "I'm game."

Luna grinned playfully. "Phew, glad we could get rid of that glum mood of yours! Didn't look good on that pretty face of yours," she joked cheekily.

"Glad you agree," Diego laughed with a wink. "Lead the way, Wolfie!" He chuckled, then added sheepishly, "Sorry. TD gave me that one."

"Ah, no problem," she said collectedly, walking away with a prideful stride. "I'll kick your ass later, Snakey," she promised, a grin clear in her tone.

"Snakey?" Diego laughed, "Tell you what. I'll let you call me by that if you let me call you Wolfie. Deal?"

"I'm gonna call you whatever I want, permission or not, Kapila. Same with the others," Luna retorted. "Only reason TD gets away with calling me that is 'cause I couldn't do any serious damage to the bastard if I wanted to. But if you wanna keep your ability to procreate, I kindly suggest you stick with my own name. Or hell, come up with something better than 'Wolfy'," she looked at him over her shoulder, brow raised. "Capiche?"

Diego smirked. "Whatever you say, Canines." He then started walking towards the direction of the cafe before she could reply. Or at least he seemed to do that, until he stopped five feet later, turned around and headed the other way.

"Cafe's that way," he said aloud to himself.

"Uh, no dip," the silver wolf chuckled as the Rogue jogged to catch up. Eventually, they reached the cafe and the manager recognized them rather quickly.

"If you turn into a Grimm again, then no service for you," he said to Diego jokingly.

"Don't freak out then," Diego replied just as cheekily.

Luna leaned against the counter and nodded towards the glass display holding a variety of baked goods. "Take ya pick, birthday boy," she said.

Diego looked at the menu, then he said, "How about this? Extra chocolately cupcake?"

"And mind sticking a candle in it while you're at it, pal?" Luna asked, handing the man a Lien card. He nodded at her request. A minute later, the man returned with their order, a lit candle placed in the center of the treat.

"Wow," Diego muttered to himself, but still loud enough for Luna to hear him, "First time in almost one hundred years that I've seen one of these set up... for me." A smile formed on his face yet again. "Why did I ever stop, even if I'm stuck at the same age?"

"Well if all you're gonna do is stare at it, I'll eat it," she joked, making a grab for the treat but laughing when Diego swatted her hand away. "Go on and make a wish."

Diego closed his eyes, then after a short moment of silence he blew out the candle.

"That... felt great," he said to her, "I know I'm sounding crazy again, but wow! That. Was. Great."

"Yeah, playing with fire is always a good time," the wolf Faunus agreed with a cheeky grin. Diego didn't reply, but simply took a few bites from the cupcake.

"Wow. They weren't kidding about the extreme chocolate flavor," he chuckled. "That's enough chocolate to kill a dog. Assuming that chocolate really is dangerous to them."

Luna shrugged. "From what I've heard, only dark chocolate will. Don't really wanna test that theory though," she replied. She pulled out her scroll and glanced at the screen before saying, "Come on, 'bout time we head back. You know what they say: never keep the missus waitin'."

"They say that?" Diego asked, giving her a look of genuine confusion. "Sorry for asking, but I've only kept up on the crime rates as a rogue."

"Pretty sure somewhere, someone says it. Either way, you really wanna keep Blondie waiting?" she asked.

"No," Diego replied, "Besides, I need to apologize for my behavior earlier... and punch TD in the face again."

"Sounds like fun. Let's go before the others beat him too badly. I wanna get in at least one hit," she said, heading for the hotel. Upon arrival, Diego noticed something was off.

"Hey, it's quieter inside," he said, "Yet I can detect their heat signatures inside. They're all standing ready for... something."

"You didn't leave behind more Finger Biters, did you?" Luna asked, caution in her tone, her hand lingering behind her to draw Silver Moon if necessary.

"Not last I checked..."

Diego burst through the door, only to have several bursts of confetti hit him in the face and a chorus of voices shouting "Surprise!"

"Wh-what the- huh?" Diego was at a lost for words.

"Like the confetti launchers?" TD asked, having apparently stayed. "I borrowed a few of Pinkie Pie's party cannons for that."

Luna laughed next to him before giving the Rogue a few pats on the shoulder. "Surprise, Kapila," she said with a smile. A cake was brought forward and Qrow actually smiled at him.

"It was your girlfriend's idea," he stated. Diego noticed how many candles were on the cake.

"There's... nineteen of them..." he whispered.

Yang looked to him. "We thought we'd start over? Do you not like it?"

Diego suddenly brought her into a crushing hug, catching her off guard. He then spoke in a tearful, yet happy voice.

"It's the best thing I've had since the Great War!" he sobbed, "It's so wonderful, I don't have the words to speak. Thank you! Thank you all!"

Everyone all gathered in for a large group hug as Diego continued to sob for joy. Until TD started crying.

"Stop it," TD said in weak protest, "You're making me cry too!"

"Man up, Ponyboy," Luna said with a roll of her eyes. "You do realize that I'm still gonna kick your ass later on?"

"Language!" Weiss scolded once more.

"I'm not a baby," TD retaliated to Luna, "I tend to be very emotional at these things. I couldn't even keep a straight face at my own graduation."

"Dude, half the time, I don't even know what the hell you're talking about," Luna commented irritably.

"Don't think about it then," TD stated.

"Guys," Diego interrupted, still smiling, "This is a big moment for me. Try not to spoil it."

"Me? Spoil a party?" Luna asked dramatically faking offense. "Never! How dare you think I would do such a thing!"

"I would," TD said childishly. The response was a whack to the head from a frying pan held by Ren. "OW! I forgot how much that hurts."

"He deserved it," Diego chuckled.

"Hey! He's a friend," Yang scolded, but she was grinning as she did.

"He still deserved it," Diego replied. "Now, are we just gonna stand here or what? Place the cake down and let's do this!"

"Hey Blake! Think maybe later on I can use Gambol Shroud to string up the pinata?" Luna asked jokingly, gesturing towards TD.

"Tempting offer," the cat Faunus replied with a chuckle.

TD looked to the two of them when they said that and got a scared look.

"Oh no!" he shouted, "I'm NOT gonna be the pinata!"

"No one said you were going to be," Yang stated, "Although I'll admit, that's very tempting."

"Very tempting indeed! But I think we got more important things to worry about. Namely, keeping Pinky away from the cake until Kapila blows out his candles," the wolf Faunus said.

Suddenly, Nora screeched and Diego laughed.

"First breakfast, and now my own cake!" he said between laughs, "Thanks Finger Biter!"

Luna facepalmed. "Speak of the devil, and she will act," she mumbled to herself. Walking into the kitchen, she chuckled at the sight of the tiny Beowolf from earlier standing guard at Diego's cake, growling at Nora.

"Quick! Do the song!" TD shouted, "Or I'll start without you!"

As if to emphasize, music for the occasion could be suddenly be heard all around them, to which TD gave a sheepish shrug.

"Magical reaction to my emotions," he explained, "Can't do much about it."

They all sang happy birthday, Diego blew out his candles (again) with a large grin, and cake was passed around.

 _I'd say this was a pretty good morning,_ Luna thought to herself. Taking a bite out of her slice of the chocolate cake, she cast her gaze suspiciously on the entity that had shown up earlier.

 _Why is he even here? My gut is telling me it wasn't just to deliver a birthday card._ She rolled her eyes. _Hell, maybe I'm just being paranoid. Then again, I have reason to be. Especially with what happened yesterday, and the day before that._

She glanced over at Diego whom was on the other side of the living room chatting with Yang, a large happy grin on his face, his blue eyes bright like topazes.

 _I'll worry about all of that later. This is his day, he should enjoy it while he can._ With that final thought, she returned to her cake.

After a while, Diego stood to address the rest of the group.

"I'd like to say thank you to everyone here for doing this for me," he said, "I'd also like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I was trying to run away from a problem that I had been running away from for far too long. You all can see how that worked out." He smiled some more and a happy tear could be seen in his eye. "I'm glad you decided to throw this for me. It's better than any present I could ever get, and frankly I wish that I hadn't ignored it for so long. From now on, this rogue is NEVER skipping his birthday!"

There were several cheers and a round of applause, until TD ended up accidentally tripping and sending his knife and plate through the air. He saved his cake with his magic, but the others flew in Diego's direction. With lightning speed, Diego grabbed them both out of midair, then seemed surprised.

"That felt... different," he said to himself aloud.

"Sheesh, talk about cutting it close," Luna remarked. A multitude of grunts, a chuckle on Ruby's part, went about.

"No, it's not that," Diego stated, "It felt... different. The way I moved. I didn't feel..."

He looked at his hands, then suddenly he started laughing. He almost seemed crazy, and even Yang was confused about his sudden behavior.

"It's broken!" Diego shouted happily, "The cycle's been broken! Ha ha ha!"

"You didn't spike the cake, did ya, Ponyboy?" Luna asked, eyebrow raised at the crazed Rogue.

"Diego, what's going on?" Yang asked.

Diego looked to her. "Remember how I said my inability to age made me feel stretched and thin?" Yang nodded. "Well... I don't feel that way anymore! I feel... like me again!"

Another laugh escaped him and he tackled Yang with a hug. She didn't respond at first, as she was still trying to process what he was saying.

"Loose?" Luna guessed.

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" Qrow demanded. TD smiled, still having his piece of cake levitating beside him.

"Diego's curse is two-fold," he explained, "He's denied rest until he fulfills his vow, and he's unable to age. Well, one of the two has been broken. He may still be cursed, but his aging..."

TD didn't finish as Yang suddenly process what he was saying.

"Oh Diego!" she shouted, returning the rogue's embrace, "This is wonderful!"

Luna made a face. "That makes no sense. Nothing doesn't age. Cursed or not."

"You'd be surprised, Wolfie," TD chuckled, "You'd be surprised."

"If they start kissing..." Qrow began, but then stopped when TD glared at him.

"You will not intervene," TD warned, "Unless you want to go through me." He then smiled as if nothing happened and looked to the others. "Any objections?"

Luna once again objected. "No, that's impossible. He's well-preserved, sure, but he hasn't stopped aging. Nothing doesn't age," she explained.

"Again, you'd be surprised," TD stated, as he watched the two. And, as he predicted, they did end up kissing.

"All those who wish to save their eyesight, cover those peepers now!" TD joked. Qrow seemed to start to make his way towards them, then glanced at TD and seemed to change his mind. The silver she-wolf rolled her eyes.

"Guess this conversation will be finished later," she remarked, walking back into the kitchen. "Let me know when they come up for air!"

"Oh trust me, only Red and maybe TD himself could go without any air," Ruby stated, following her for a short way, "Don't ask me how I know, because sometimes I wish I didn't."

"I wasn't going to," Luna replied, cutting another slice.

"Well, all's well that ends well, am I right?" TD's voice suddenly asked. He rose out of a pot on the stove, somehow fitting his whole body inside. He hopped out and stood before Luna with a mischievous grin. The wolf faunus jumped back with a startled yelp. Realizing who it was, her face twisted with annoyance and a growl escaped her throat.

"Why are you even here? I'm getting the feeling it's not just to wish Diego a happy birthday," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sharp as ever, aren't you Greyback?" TD chuckled. "It was mostly for his sake, but it also is for your own. You see..." TD looked down at the ground, then put on a ridiculous "happy" face.

"Guess who just decided to come through the time jump and help out the two Salems here in this Remnant? Here's a hint: his alternate self sliced off Yang's arm."

Luna immediately felt like vomiting.

 _Now we have to deal with both of HIM?!_ Her thoughts screamed. She clenched her fists, which had started shaking violently. She tried to reel in her growing anger, as she could feel her Vapor trying to break loose. A dark chuckle started building through her grit teeth, a humorless smile pulling at her lips.

"You...you really have the worst fucking timing, you know that?" She stated too calmly, air escaping through her nostrils in angry, sharp exhales, like an enraged bull ready to charge (wow, the irony).

"Hey, you're the one who asked," TD stated calmly, "And if that Vapor goes anywhere, I'm definitely going to contain it."

"You listen to me," she commanded in almost a whisper. "I'm going to give you 10 seconds. And before those 10 seconds are up, you're going to fix this shitstorm you created. You're going to send everyone who doesn't belong in this universe back to where they do. Myself included." Her anger had reach such an intense level, her ice blue irises had suddenly turned into a molten gold color, and her pupils dilated widely, like those of an angry wolf. "If you don't, I will tear you apart where you now stand."

"Don't you think I would've done that already if I could!?" TD retaliated, "Contrary to what you may believe Wolfie, I'm not a heartless monster, and I sure as hell ain't one to let this world get destroyed! If I could fix this, I would've done it BEFORE you had asked!" He sighed and looked at his hands. "But some things are beyond our control, no matter how powerful you are."

"You're still the reason this happened," she growled, her tone still low with blistering rage. "You sent me here. You left a wormhole open for another Salem to get through, as if one wasn't bad enough. And now, we have to deal with another psychopathic terrorist. None of this would have happened if it weren't for your meddling. This is all YOUR fault."

She grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the doorway that led to the living area where everyone still was.

"You see them? All these good people that I have the honor to call my friends?" She asked rhetorically. With another hard tug, she pulled TD back into the kitchen to the large window next the the table. "You see out there? All those innocent people in this Kingdom? In this world?" She repeated. "You just KILLED them."

With that final snarl, she shoved the entity away from her, not caring how much noise he made as he tripped and fell over nearby furniture. She leapt out the window, and took off into the forest once more. As she ran, she wiped at her eyes, as tears of anger and anguish fell down her cheeks.

"You should know by now how hard it is to get rid of me," TD's voice came from in front of her. He suddenly appeared floating in midair in the guise of some kind of blood-red pony with sunglasses. "And for the record, I didn't leave a wormhole; they created one. The original intent was to simply prove you wrong about other worlds and dimensions. If I knew it would come to this..."

"What? You wouldn't have done it? Oh, too late for that, sweetheart!" The angry Faunus snapped. "Do have any common sense at all? Did you ever consider that maybe there are some things that you SHOULDN'T mess with? Even once?" Her Vapor was waterfalling from her hands at this point, yet she made no attempts to reel it in, blinded by her rage.

She pointed back in the direction she came from. "You're gonna go back there, and you're gonna tell them all what's about to befall them and the rest of this Remnant. Don't follow me anymore, don't send any of them after me. And at this point, I don't care if you send me back or not, if you can or not. We're all dead anyway." She shoved past the pony-guise of the entity, and returned on her path, not stopping as she continued. "Just leave me alone, for once. Please," she begged, her anguish starting to slip into her angered voice. TD watched her go, then sighed.

"Fine. If you want to return to your world, you know where to find me!" he called, "And when this is over... I can get out of your hair forever if you want." He sighed as he walked back to the house, speaking softer this time.

"That's... a promise..."

* * *

"Did you guys hear that noise?" Blake questioned after hearing several loud bangs coming from the kitchen. Drawing Gambol Shroud, she jogged into the kitchen with the others trailing behind her. Walking into the kitchen, they found the table skidded over several feet from its original position, and chairs scattered, either upright or on their sides on the ground.

"Whoa, what happened in here?" Sun asked, eyes wide at the mess, Ruyi Jingu Bang in hand.

"Where are Luna and TD? Weren't they in here?" Ruby asked concerned, holding Crescent Rose in sniper-mod

"We were," TD's voice suddenly answered, "Now, it's just me. Up here."

Looking up on the ceiling, they found TD hanging upside down in the same pony form Luna had seen him with, looking almost like a pony vampire. The only difference was that his sunglasses were off, revealing a pair of orange-yellow draconic eyes that looked rather intimidating... or at leats they would've been if they weren't filled with tears.

"What do you mean it's just you now?" Jaune questioned, sheathing Crocea Mors.

"Where's Luna?" Weiss asked, alarmed.

"Probably unleashing her anger and sorrow thanks to me... again," TD muttered. Suddenly, gravity decided to apply to him and he fell to the floor. However, instead of screeching in pain, he just sighed.

"Typical," he remarked, "That's happened so often, I'm surprised that I even bother trying that."

"Anger?" Ruby said confused, remembering the silver she-wolf to had been in a good mood not five minutes ago.

"What happened, TD?" Yang demanded. "No one just suddenly gets angry and takes off."

TD sighed. "Let's just say I told her something she didn't want to hear. Especially since it basically confirms for me what I should've noticed before. I've doomed your world... again."

"Kid, would you quit with the vague answers and just tell us what happened!" Qrow said in annoyance.

"Put the weapon down, Qrow," TD warned, his tone suddenly sounding dangerous, "Or I'll make your insides become your outs." He then sighed and looked downhearted again. "Adam- Luna's Adam- has crossed over, along with all his White Fang operatives." He looked at them with an angry and sad expression at the same time. "There. Now you know. HAPPY?!"

Blake's cat ears drooped, her stomach twisting simultaneously. "What?"

Ruby interjected. "Wait, that's not so bad! Er well, not as bad," she corrected herself. "We took down the White Fang here, we can do it again! It's not like he'll have a bigger army or something."

"It unfortunately appears that way," Ren said, hanging his head. Ruby tilted hers in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Blake spoke again.

"The members we rounded up at Haven were only those of the Mistralian branch. Knowing Adam, he's gathered up followers in every Kingdom," she explained solemnly.

"Oh," was all Ruby said, dejected.

"Yep," TD congratulated sarcastically, clearly beating himself up, "Hail the conquering hero! Dooming your world in less than twenty-four hours! Whoo hoo!"

"Okay, you're going too far with it," Diego said bluntly.

"Maybe, but isn't that the point?" TD asked. "I've tried to be friends, I've tried making amends, I've even tried rebuilding an entire world that I had previously dismantled. But no matter what, I just screw things up." He sighed. "I'm not allowed to help too much, but once this is over... I'm leaving. Out of your lives. For good. One last thing for you to worry about."

"Now just wait a second!" Weiss spoke up. "No one is blaming you for any of this! Or asking you to leave for that matter!"

"Very funny coming from the one girl who probably despises me the most here," TD answered, "Besides, it's not just for you... it's for Luna." He looked down at the floor. "I've been a terrible friend to her from the very start. If friend is even the right word. All I ever do for you guys is screw it up. So why keep me around?"

"Hey man, that was uncalled for," Sun replied in defense of Weiss.

"Luna said that to you?" Ruby asked shocked, not believing her new friend would say such a thing.

"Not really," TD said reassuringly, "That's mostly me. She just... wants me to leave her alone for once."

Ruby reassuringly placed a hand a hand on his shoulder. "She probably didn't mean it. You said she was angry, didn't you?" She asked.

"Shouldn't we go after her?" Neptune questioned, jumping into the conversation. "If this is your reaction, she's probably a walking hot spot for the Grimm. And, she just barely recovered from the battle yesterday. She could get seriously hurt!"

"Going after her would be a big mistake right now, actually," TD noted, "And I wouldn't worry too much about-"

He never finished, and looked off in the distance.

"Me and my big mouth," he muttered.

"TD?" Diego asked. But the entity didn't answer. Instead, he jumped out the window scolding himself the whole way as he raced along the roof tops.

"A friend has got herself in a bind," he shouted, "Looks like it's TD saving them again! And then getting his own butt kicked by the one he saved!"

"Oh for the love of..."

Diego jumped out the window after the entity.

"Hey, wait up!" Yang shouted, jumping after him.

"I'm sorry, is this now a game of who can jump out the window faster?" Qrow asked sarcastically.

* * *

Panting hard, Luna sighed when she arrived at her destination. Taking the same route she went the other day, she made a few different turns and made it to the coast, to a little cove on the rocky shores. The waves below lapped softly at the sandy beach, a gentle breeze flying, and the gulls squawking above her head.

 _Finally, some peace..._ she thought as she climbed down the rocky hills.

She made her way to the surf, and took a seat on the sand just past where the tide could reach at this time of day. Pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, the silver she-wolf breathed deeply as she closed her eyes. She was too exhausted to think, so she let her mind go blank, and just listened to the life around her.

The sound of the waves crashing and receding back into the ocean in a peaceful rhythm. The feeling of the gentle caress of the wind slipping through her hair and across her face. The smell of sea salt in the air she could almost taste on the back of her tongue. She could almost relax.

She heard rocks shifting behind her, and swiftly opened her eyes. Feeling the fur on her tail stand up, she instinctively dove off to the side. And good thing she did, for a large ball of flames had suddenly engulfed the spot she was just sitting. Staying in her crouched position for the moment, Luna scanned the area in front of her for any sign of the source of the flame. In her perepherial vision, she saw more flames flying towards her. Dodging just in time, she finally took notice of her assailants and glared in their direction.

"You," she snarled, sharp canines gleaming in the sunlight. The figure revealed herself more fully: the Queen of the Grimm herself.

"Expecting more pleasant company, Luna?" Salem asked casually, as two other figures stepped out from behind her; Watts and... another Cinder.

"Actually, I wasn't expecting any company at all. I do like some peace and quiet, which you and your lackies have so rudely interrupted," the silver wolf retorted, getting to her feet. "And seeing as you know my name, I guess introductions are no longer necessary. So tell me, Salem, to what do I owe this not-so-fine pleasure?" She asked, mock in her tone.

"I keep tabs on all of Diego's friends," Salem explained, "But I was particularity interested in you. Watts..."

Watts nodded and continued. "Our good friend Adam- the one that works for the Mistress's alternate self- he noticed that one of his members had disappeared ever since the wormhole was opened. And when we noticed a wolf Faunus matching the description of the missing member in question... well, must I go on?"

Cinder smirked. "How unfortunate to find that we already have a traitor in our midst. We could've used a warrior like you."

 _How people manage to insult and flatter me in the same sentence astounds me,_ Luna thought irritably, before speaking aloud.

"See, in order for me to be a traitor, I would have to have been working for you in the first place. Unless I'm losing my memory, I recall no such thing," she stated with narrowed eyes.

She returned her gaze to the Dark Queen. "Tell me, Salem, because I'm intrigued. Why would someone, who is so hell-bent on destroying all of humanity, associate herself with a human in the first place?" The silver wolf mockingly asked, tilting her head. "Hypocrite much?"

Salem gave Luna a small smile. "That was only my quest after Diego. And last I checked, he isn't a true human." Her face dropped, and she seemed to be genuinely sad. "He was the first to ever treat me as more than just a monster. I once hoped that we could've been more than just friends... but we ruined that chance the night his best friend died." She turned her gaze to Luna and her expression hardened again. "And now, because of him, all of Remnant is doomed to be destroyed, whether by my hand or his own."

Luna huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip to the side. "Forgive me when I say that I don't completely believe you," she replied, not meaning the first part. "Now enough beating around the bush. What do you want with me?"

Salem's evil grin returned as Cinder started advancing towards Luna.

"We are taking you to a special class," Watts stated as if this was a casual conversation, "It's called, 'Re-altering your mind.' A little trick Master Kaplia taught Madam Salem before he left her."

Cinder was now getting within arm's reach. "This is what we'll do," she said calmly, "First, we bring you back with us and have you stand trial before dear old Adam- both of them, actually. Then, we alter your mind so that you will forever remain our faithful and loyal servant." A glowing flame appeared in Cinder's hand. "You can either come quietly, or you can be taken by force. And as great a warrior you may be Miss Greyback, you can't hope to best us. So, what will it be?"

Luna slid her back foot back, getting into her fighting stance. "You better watch that egomania, Sparky. It'll be the end of you, like it was for your alternate-self," the she-wolf warned mockingly. "And if you think for a second that I would ever work for any of you, go ahead and incinerate me now," she drew Silver Moon and narrowed her eyes, tail swishing wildly behind her. "But I'm not dying easily."

Cinder sighed. "You've chosen death then."

Without a warning, she caused several bursts of magic to fly straight at Luna from multiple angles at once. Just as quickly, Luna flared her Aura and threw her body backwards, performing multiple backflips while spinning Silver Moon in all directions. The blasts she couldn't dodge, the ice dust in her staff were able to deplete with ease. Landing in a crouch several feet from her original position, the wolf Faunus once more spoke to Cinder.

"If that's the best you can do with only half the Fall Maiden's powers, I can't imagine how disappointing you'll be if you ever manage to get the other half!"

Cinder was startled that Luna was able to evade her attacks with such ease. Salem, however, simply smiled.

"So you _do_ have experience with magic," she noted with interest. "Then it's a good thing I brought backup."

As she spoke, several dark pools appeared on the ground and lots of Grimm crawled out, surrounding Luna on all sides.

"Now that's what I call unfair odds!" a voice called from the distance. An expression of utter disbelief appeared on Salem's face.

"That voice..." Watts muttered, a hint of fear in his tone.

Risking looking away from her opponent, Luna looked up and her eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and annoyance. With a quiet growl, she called out to the boy on the cliff,

"Two things, Ponyboy! One, when is anything fair? And two, what the hell are you doing here?" She questioned, raising her voice to be heard from down below.

"Is it not obvious?" TD asked. He looked to Salem and smirked. "Hello again, my dear. Once again, it seems we're on the opposite sides."

Salem gritted her teeth in anger, Cinder looked to him with confusion, and Watts tried (and failed) to keep a straight face.

"Why have you come back to this cursed crater?" Salem demanded.

TD smiled. "I caused a bit of a stir here. Consider this to be me trying to make amends." His eyes turned to Luna for a second. "As well as an apology."

"I'd say a bit more than just a stir!" She called out again, though inside she was admittedly a bit glad he had ignored her request from earlier. Salem gave a sideways glance to the Grimm.

"Kill her," she said bluntly. The Grimm locked eyes on Luna and with a series of growls and roars, they charged her all at once. They never made it more than a few feet to her before all of them suddenly stopped abruptly. Their eyes widened in surprise, then they fell to the ground and disintegrated. Salem didn't even need to turn around to know what had happened and looked to TD, who was no longer grinning. He actually looked mad.

"I don't know if she classifies as a friend or not," TD stated, "but I know this for a fact: you even THINK about trying that again to her, you're dead!"

"Not that I'm not grateful that you're here or anything, but I was kinda looking forward to killing something!" Luna said, slightly disappointed that the Grimm had been eradicated so quickly and effortlessly.

"Oh I saved you a few," TD chuckled. "Watch your six, Wolfie!"

With a laugh, he charged himself at Salem and Cinder, who quickly tried to retaliate. Behind Luna, a few growls could be heard.

"How thoughtful," she muttered sarcastically, yet with a growing grin. Spinning around, she caught a charging Beowolf by impaling Silver Moon's blade through the bottom of its jaw and out the top of its head. With a heave, she threw the beast's evaporating body over her head to dislodge her weapon from its flesh in time to block the massive paw of an Ursa Major.

The Grimm's bulk forced the Faunus onto one knee, leaving her no choice but to draw Solstice. She fired a single round into the monster's head, front rolling under its front limb to avoid being crushed by the dead weight and landed on her belly. Hearing more snarls, Luna saw two Creeps charging towards her with rapid speed. Swinging her staff, she knocked the Grimm to opposite sides with two hard horizontal swipes. Going for the one on her right, she kicked it as it tried to get back up before driving her naginata into its neck, twisting the blade to ensure death.

However, she failed to notice the second Creep had gotten to its feet faster than she expected. Before she could fully turn back around and strike, the Grimm had already reached her and clamped her tail in its powerful jaws. The wolf Faunus screeched in agony, her vision blurring with pained tears and her balance thrown off due to the beast's grip. In this painful position, she couldn't reach back with Silver Moon to free herself, even if she wasn't paralyzed with pain.

As if the Creep's teeth tearing into her flesh and jaws crushing the bones wasn't enough, the monster viciously yanked it's head to one side, tossing her aside like a rag doll. The silver she-wolf crashed hard into one of the rocks beyond the shore, sobbing as her tail throbbed agonizingly. Stunned with intense pain and weaponless, Silver Moon and Solstice having flown from her grip when she was tossed, Luna had no way to defend herself and just closed her eyes. Waiting for the end to come as the Creep charged once more.

But just as it reached Luna, a blur appeared in front of her, grabbed the Creep and tossed it over and behind her. The figure stopped long enough to reveal itself as Diego. Moving so fast that Luna's brain almost could't register his actions, Diego whipped out two revolvers and fired a series of pistol rounds into the Creep before it could stand again. The Creep stayed on the ground, now completely lifeless as the human-Faunus hybrid looked to her.

"You okay?" he asked, then before she answered he shouted in TD's direction, "You almost got her killed again TD!"

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" TD shouted and an explosion was heard in his direction, "Seriously, can I go for five minutes around her without messing up again?!"

"S'not his fault," Luna managed to croak out, her voice just above a mumble. With a sob, she managed to get onto her knees, but couldn't bear to move further than that. Feeling her body curl in on itself, the wolf Faunus glanced at her wounded appendage to inspect the damage. Somehow, the Creep's teeth had managed to slice through her Aura, leaving her tail a torn, motionless, bloody mess. Her nerves were on fire, and she couldn't move any muscles in her lower back or upper legs without crying out in agony.

"I...can't feel..." she whimpered to her friend, unable to finish speaking due to choking on her own tears. Another explosion occurred and the sound of someone choking was heard as well. Turning towards TD, they were shocked to see him holding both Cinder and Salem in his hands by the neck, lifting them high into the air. Watts was pinned to the ground by some kind of invisible barrier. TD's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'll give you only one last chance, Salem," he growled, "Close the wormhole, make your duplicate leave, and NEVER come back!"

He threw them impossibly high, but as they flew through the air, they disappeared in a flash of light. Watts also disappeared, although it wasn't clear if he had wished for him to leave either. TD took a few breaths to calm himself, then rushed over to Luna.

"Oh gosh," he winced, "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have-"

"Shut up, Ponyboy..." the wolf Faunus managed to groan out. "This one's on me...wasn't quick enough..." She laid her head back on the warm sand breathing shakily, momentarily accepting defeat. She managed a pained chuckle as she glanced at Diego out the corner of her eye, "Got to say, Kapila. If it weren't for your current girlfriend, I'd seriously question your taste in women."

Diego managed a small chuckle, but before he could speak, TD interrupted.

"Luna Greyback, please let me finish. I... I need to get this off my chest for now," he said, emotion cracking his voice.

"Hang on for a moment, T..." she said quietly, her body still trembling with pain. "You mind waiting til I don't look like a Grimm's chew toy to say what you want to? I mean, I don't know about you..." she hissed through her teeth. "But sand and sea salt stings like a bitch on open wounds..."

"Oh..." TD looked to the mangled limb, hardly seeming to be affected by it. As he looked at it, an idea seemed to come to his mind.

"My fault or not, I owe something to you for my actions," he said, "With your permission... I can restore it for you."

Diego looked to him. "I though Chaos magic was incapable of healing."

"I know a few loopholes that I'm able to exploit, Kapila," TD replied, not even turning to the Rogue. He hardly seemed to notice Yang's footprints as she had finally managed to catch up to them. She halted in her path, her hand covering her mouth and purple eyes widen with horror.

"Oh my gods!" She exclaimed before taking back off in the direction she just came from.

 _'How many of them followed?...'_

Luna twisted her neck to better see TD before she spoke. "I really appreciate it, T, but I think I wanna stay away from anymore magical loopholes for a while..." she answered. "Let's let my Aura take care of this one, along with maybe a little medical expertise...But hey, maybe once I'm back together again, you can pay me back with lunch or something," she offered with a weak smile. Feeling vibrations in the earth, she saw the others running at them in her prepherial vision.

"Suit yourself," TD answered. He then looked to her more fully. "You're right, ya know. This is my fault. I caused this fight, put millions of lives at risk... all because of a stupid prank I wanted to pull on you." He sighed as a tear fell down his cheek. "I tend not to think about the possible outcomes or dangers of my actions, and frankly I've been a real jerk to you. And you can hate me all you want, and it's fine." His voice cracked as he barely finished, "Because in the end, you're right. I really am just a pain in your..."

He now started to cry himself, while Diego stood up and looked to the others who were approaching, possibly to tell them to give Luna some space. The silver she-wolf turned her attention to the arriving group.

"Well guys, take notes. This is how you do NOT fight a Grimm," she attempted at a joke, chuckling before wincing in pain again.

"Are you okay kid?" Qrow asked as he started to get closer.

"She'll live if that's what you're asking for," TD stated bluntly.

"Jeez, TD. Lighten up a little," Diego stated, "This isn't really the time to be rude."

"Well excuse me for realizing how much of a hindrance to you guys I've been!" TD shouted, then softer, "But at least one of you won't have to worry about it ever again."

They all knew he was referring to Luna.

"Somebody hog-tie his ass so he can't go nowhere," the wolf Faunus groaned weakly, growing annoyed with the entity's self-pity party. "And I'll repeat: Sand. Salt. Open wounds. Stings like bitch. Can't move. Please help," Luna grumbled, once again ignoring Weiss scolding her for her foul tongue.

"Jaune, if you will please," Diego ordered. Jaune walked over to Luna and gave a sheepish smile.

"This may feel a little strange," he said to her, "But it'll help in the long run."

"I call this remorse, by the way," TD muttered, "Not that it matters to you."

Shaking her head, Luna blocked the blonde's approaching hands.

"No," she insisted softly. "Save your energy, Jaune. If one of them comes back and things get ugly...someone on the brink of death is more important than a mangled tail. Thank you, though," she said, giving his hand a light squeeze. "This just needs some bandages, a splint, and a comfy place to rest."

"Well, in that case..." TD stood to his feet. "Nice knowing you, Luna Greyback."

"Oh no you don't!" Yang shouted, grabbing TD by the ear. "You're not leaving yet, Ponyboy."

"You stole that one!" TD protested, "I call copyright infringement!"

"Oh my gods, you guys suck!" Sun suddenly exclaimed. "We have a friend bleeding out here and you guys want to argue and mope? Come on!"

Pushing them aside, the monkey Faunus fell to his knees besides the injured wolf and shrugged off his white jacket. Before Luna could protest, he had already lay his jacket on the sand and was now moving the destroyed limb onto the fabric as gently as possible. She bit her tongue to quell the screams that threatened to rip from her throat, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth.

Sun turned to Blake. "Give me your ribbon," he requested urgently. Blake drew her katana and detached the long black ribbon before handing it over. Working quickly yet carefully, the monkey Faunus managed to wrap the tail securely in the temporary bandage. Satisfied with his work, Luna felt the boy's hands slipping under her knees and waist.

"Hang on tight, okay?" She heard him whisper as he lifted her off the ground, yelping as gravity suddenly pulled on her injured tail. She wrapped her arms around Sun's neck and lay her head against his shoulder as her body tried to curl further in on itself. She heard him yell at the others to follow before starting the climb back to the top, Blake behind him and the others not far behind.

"Hey! Steady on!" TD complained to Yang, who was literally dragging him along at a surprising pace. "I haven't changed forms! You're gonna kill me!"

"I don't think she will, Dude, but I don't think that necessarily means you're safe," Neptune said to the entity as he walked by, his guandao resting against his shoulder.

"Why didn't I just teleport out of here and save Luna the goodbye?" he muttered, as he struck a rock. "YEOW! Watch it, or I'll shred the skin from your bones!"

"Good luck with that!" Diego shouted back to him.

"If you wanna teleport us to the nearest hospital, that would be more helpful!" Sun called back. "I still can't believe her Aura didn't prevent this."

"I can," Diego stated, "But he's right. TD?"

TD sighed. "One second."

In a flash of light, they all suddenly found themselves in the hospital at Mistral. Naturally, the staff was surprised to see them.

"No time for talk. Give her medical attention or I'll keelhaul the lot of yee!" TD shouted to the nearest team of doctors and nurses.

No sooner had he said that, had a gurney already been rolled into the lobby. A doctor approached Sun immediately.

"What happened here?" He asked as he looked over the damaged limb of the wolf Faunus.

"Grimm attack," Sun replied, laying Luna on the gurney gently. "I think a Creep, specifically. Roughly 10 minutes ago."

"Right. Get me an anesthetic!" He called out as the team wheeled the group's injured friend away.

"And this is the point where I feel powerless and helpless," TD muttered. "I hate having to feel this way, considering that I am like that all the time at home."

"Just because you're muttering, doesn't mean we can't hear you," Qrow remarked, taking a sip from his flask. "And in case you haven't noticed yet, kid," he gestured to the doors Luna was just taken through. "We have more important things to worry about than placing blame or having one-man pity parties."

Nora spoke up, "You guys think she's gonna be okay?"

"I honestly don't know," Sun answered glumly. "I only saw something like this to one other guy back when I still lived in Vacuo. Had his whole tail bitten off! But he was some kind of lizard, so his grew back after a few weeks!"

Ren commented, "I'm hoping they can save the tail in time."

"There's a reason for this 'self-pity' Qrow," TD stated, "It's called, 'Feeling responsible for what happened.' I pretty much almost got her killed, as well as you guys in the long run."

"She made a choice, kid," The former bandit threw back. "She knew who and what she was fighting, and of the consequences she could face because of choosing to fight. So unless you yourself instructed the Creep to-"

"Okay!" Ruby interrupted, silencing the two. "I know things went south now, and they're likely only gonna get worse, but Luna is gonna need us when she gets out of here! What good are we to her if all we're gonna do is stand around and point fingers?"

"What good have I _ever_ been to her?" TD retaliated. "Never, that's what."

"Nevertheless," Diego said to him firmly, "you WILL stay here for her. And if not, I'll just have Yang break your face again."

As if to emphasize, Yang cracked her knuckles as she stared at the entity. TD looked back and forth at them, then sighed.

"Fine. I'll stay," he relented, "But only because that's the way you want it to be."

"So, what now?" Jaune asked. "I mean, what can we do?"

"Maybe a couple of us stay, and the rest go back to the house?" Blake suggested.

"But shouldn't we all stay? So we can all see her when she gets better?" Ruby objected.

"Do what you will," Diego remarked, "I'm staying."

"Not alone, you're not," Yang added, standing beside him. TD looked at the group, then sighed.

"Believe it or not, I too feel bad for Luna and as I feel partly responsible for this, I might as well stay," he explained.

"Call us when you hear about anything from the doctor," Weiss said. With that, the group took their leave, leaving the trio to await answers about their friend.

* * *

 ***Three Hours Later...***

"Excuse me," Diego and TD looked up at the doctor that had approached them. Yang was currently asleep against Diego's shoulder. "You three came in with the young lady with a severely damaged tail, correct?"

"That's us," TD replied with a nod. Diego quietly woke Yang, then pulled up his Scroll to call the others.

"Don't bother," TD stopped him, snapping his fingers, "They already know. Courtesy of the Lord of Chaos, aka Yours Truly."

"Thanks," Diego said, putting the Scroll away.

The doctor continued. "Your friend was very lucky. If you hadn't gotten here as soon as you did, we would have had to amputate the limb due to the amount of bone and nerve damage. The good news is, she will make a full recovery. However, we would like to keep her overnight to maintain observation, just to be on the safe side."

The doctor's face turned to one of astonishment. "That young lady has Aura levels higher than any I have ever seen in my 36 years as a medical practitioner. However, that proved to be a problem, as her wounds were trying to heal quicker than we could work. We had to induce Aural Depletion in order to make the necessary repairs for her tail to heal properly." He nodded his head to the hallway to their left. "You may see her if you wish, seventh door on your right."

Diego gave his thanks, then the three followed the doctor's instructions and opened the door to Luna's room. The silver she-wolf was currently sitting up on the bed with her knees up to her chest, eyes glued to the TV screen on the wall. Her usually black attire was replaced with light grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt, along with a curious lump that hid beneath the shirt.

Luna looked over when she heard the door open. "Hey guys," she greeted with a smile. "Man, you have no idea how happy I am to see you! There is literally NOTHING on right now! Thought I was gonna die of boredom before you walked in."

"I've been there before," Diego chuckled.

"Glad to see you're looking a little bit better," Yang noted. TD at first didn't seem like he wanted to talk, but eventually he too looked to the wolf Faunus and managed a small smile.

"Next time you want me to leave you a few Grimm, don't let them turn you into a chew toy," he joked, then more seriously, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing okay," The wolf Faunus lifted her shirt just enough to reveal her tail wrapped securely in white bandages, while also strapped to her back. "Nothing that couldn't be fixed. I think my pride took more damage, to be honest," she answered jokingly, pulling the shirt back down. "It's just a temporary splint, doctors said. At the rate my Aura is working, it should be fully healed by tomorrow. It being strapped to me like this is just an extra precaution so I don't injure it again if I move it by accident," she explained.

TD smiled, then his smile fell as a sigh escaped him.

"Look, about what you said earlier... I've thought about it," TD stated, "And you're right. I did basically cause all of this, and now I'm reaping what I've sowed." He seemed to be trying to keep himself composed. "And I'm... a real pain towards you. I don't think about the consequences, I'm too carefree and naive often. I'm just... well, a real jerk at times. So, I guess I'm trying to say... I'm sorry, Luna Greyback."

"Okay, first of all, you can stop using my full name all the time. Neither of us are that formal, so I don't know why you do that," she remarked, shifting her legs into a criss-cross position. "Second of all, I should be the one apologizing. Even if you are responsible for all of this, I shouldn't have gone off on you the way I did. Yeah, I was angry, but I shouldn't have thrown it on you.

"So, I forgive you. And I hope you can forgive me," Luna finished calmly.

TD looked her in the eyes, then a smile formed on his face.

"Apology accepted, Wolfie," he said. He then gave a questioning look. "You don't mind that I call you that, do you? I never bothered to ask before, so I thought I might as well now."

"Friends only," she replied. "If anyone else called me that, I would think they were making derogatory remarks, and their jaws would become well-acquainted with my right foot."

"Friends..." TD smiled a little more. "Glad to see you at least think of me that way."

"Are you done with trying to leave forever then?" Diego asked him. TD shot Diego a glare.

"If you weren't considered a friend too Diego, I'd have disintegrated you just then."

"Valid question, Ponyboy," Luna remarked, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her chest.

TD looked back to Luna. "Fine. If you must know... I plan, or planned, to get out of your hair forever after this is over. It even comes with a free ride home." He got a sheepish look. "I guess, I wanted to believe that I was doing you a favor. But now, I'm not sure if that would be for the better after all."

"Well, as much as I'd love to go back to my world, I'm needed here now," she replied. "And I'm not leaving until what needs to be done gets done," She responded with finality.

"That's the Faunus from the arena I know!" TD congratulated, "So... now there's only one problem left."

"And what's that?" Yang asked.

"How to help you guys out without causing more complications," TD stated, "Especially since I'm not allowed to directly intervene."

"Um, aren't you already doing that?" Luna asked confused.

"That was one loophole, yes," TD explained, "But if you're asking if I can just snap my fingers and the whole thing comes to an end... no, I can't do that."

Luna 'hmm'ed, moving to lay on her stomach, the pillow under her elbows and her feet in the air. "Kinda guessed that at this point."

"But..." TD got a wicked smile, "I can cause a little trouble. Let's just say they'll be experiencing some 'malfunctions' for the next week or so." He cackled. "I am a reformed villain, and some parts of me are still devious!"

"Glad he's on our side this time, more or less," Diego muttered.

"And I am a chill sadist with absolutely no intentions of being reformed," the wolf Faunus added with a half-malicious, half-humorous grin.

TD laughed again, then looked to a watch on his arm.

"Darn it! Well, I'd best be off!" he said to them. He gave Luna a teasing smile, "Take care, Wolfie! Or I'll break your tail again!"

"Touch my tail, I'll break your dick," Luna warned in retaliation.

"Guess we're even," TD giggled. "Later!"

He snapped his fingers, then disappeared in a flash of light.

"This may sound rude, but I'm kinda glad he's gone," Yang spoke.

"I ain't judging," Luna replied. "Curious as to why, though."

"IT's mostly because he's almost as infuriating as Diego," Yang explained, "Only in a bad way for me."

"Aww, I didn't realize I was THAT annoying, Blondie," Diego joked, a smirk on his face.

"Got my full support on that one, Blondie," Luna responded. "In my time, I've seen two types of annoying. First kind are your friends; they get on your nerves, but you love 'em, so you just let it go. Second kind are people you don't know; they get on your nerves, there's not gonna be any talking. Just a whole lot of chitty-chitty-bang-bang."

"So you've heard of that movie too?" Diego asked, "TD showed it to me once. Underrated show if you ask me."

"Eh, it was okay. Catchy song, I'll admit. Can't forget it no matter how hard I try," Luna agreed. She then asked, "So where is everyone else? Back at the house?"

"Yep," Yang replied, "Although, TD claims that he let them know you're okay, so don't be surprised if they all show up soon." She gave a playful grin. "I think Ruby's gonna be the worst of them to deal with."

Luna chuckled. "At this point, I'll take a full-speed tackle from her any day," she remarked with a smile. "I'm kinda jealous of ya in that sense. I always wanted a little brother or sister."

Diego looked at her with a slight look of surprise.

"You too?" he asked.

"Only one, though," she confirmed, grinning. "Any more than that and I would tear my hair out, from the stories I've heard."

Diego chuckled. "Other than Ruby, the cloest I ever had to another sibling was my so-called 'fiance' before the Great War."

"Sibling?" Yang laughed, "You might as well see her as the daughter you never had from the way you treat her!"

"You talk so much about her, yet I don't know anything about her," The silver she-wolf pointed out. "Mind filling me in a bit?"

"Who? The fiance?" Diego asked.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Well," Diego spoke, "She was a Faunus, to be precise a Cheetah Faunus. She preferred to be called 'Kitty', but her real name was Katherine." A smile crawled on his face. "She was the first person outside my family that I would go to if I was troubled. She always had this super cute manner about her that made her fun to be around." He chuckled. "She was almost as energetic as Ruby, and despite her age she was just about as innocent. Perhaps that's what made me like Ruby so much. She reminds me of Kitty."

"She sounds amazing," Luna complimented. "I wish I had the chance to meet her."

"I think you'd have loved her," Diego agreed. "She wasn't a combatant, but she had a deep respect towards warriors."

A commotion outside the door caught the trio's attention, and not two seconds later Ruby had burst through the door, a trail of red rose petals falling behind her.

"Oh my gosh, please tell me you're okay!" The young reaper begged, having basically teleported across the room to the Faunus's bedside.

"Ruby! We are in a hospital! You're gonna get us kicked out!" Came from the hallway, Weiss walking into the door immediately afterwards.

"Relax Weiss," Diego remarked, "I know some of the doctors here, and they've seen worst behavior." He ruffled Ruby's hair a bit. "Let the kid be worried."

"Well speak of the little red missile, and she will appear," Luna remarked with a humorous grin. "I'm alright, little Red. Wounded pride more than anything." She looked up to greet Weiss, "Nice to see you too, Princess."

"You'd think she has a listening device hidden in every room you're in," Diego joked, pulling out a listening bug for emphasis.

"Better question is why you have one on you," the Faunus asked with a raised brow.

"I always keep a few on me," Diego explained, "Mostly out of habit from my vigilante days. You never know when one will come in handy."

"I remember when we'd find at least one of them in just about every room at Beacon," Yang chuckled, "They were hard to find, but kinda worth the effort, if only to let him know that it was discovered."

"Better be careful where ya leave those things, Kapila. Never know what you'll end up eavesdropping on," Luna jokingly warned with a wolfish grin.

"I'm willing to take that risk," he stated, putting the bug away. "So, anyone have a game plan?"

"If TD truly is willing to cause Salem and her duplicate delays for the whole week, I'm willing to bet that it gives us plenty of prep time before they can attack again," Yang suggested.

"I wouldn't waste Lien on those odds," Luna said, sitting back up. "Learned a long time ago never to underestimate an enemy. TD only has so much power to assist us with. We need to figure something out soon, lest we wanna risk be blindsighted."

Diego thought to himself, then smiled as an idea came to mind.

"I think it might make the cut," he said aloud.

"What will?" Yang asked.

"Remember those new toys from the toybox?" he asked her, clearly speaking in a kind of code. Yang, Ruby, and the others all seemed to realize what he was saying.

"That could work," Weiss said.

"They're cute, for robots," Ruby remarked. "I can't wait to see them in action!"

"Diego, you're a genius!" Yang shouted, giving his shoulder a small punch.

"I have my moments," Diego replied, looking a bit bashful.

"Is there an initiation or something I need to go through to be let in on the club's secret code?" Luna deadpanned with a raised brow.

"Oh, sorry!" Diego apologized, releasing Yang, "I forgot you don't know about that." He smiled. "Let's just say that one of our friends from another world gave us a collection of recon drones that can help scout for danger long before it's even arrived. I believe he said it was some kind of 'dimensional disturbance detectors?' Anyways, those babies are far more effective than the Atlas military could ever be at spotting danger."

"Hmph, don't let Ironwood hear ya say that. From what I heard, his ego is able as fragile as a Nevermore egg," she commented.

"Oh don't worry," Diego remarked, "Our friend made sure to give it to us secretly. He's smart that way."

"Did we mention that he's technically a runaway personality of TD's?" Weiss stated, "That took quite a while to wrap my head around."

"I should be surprised, but I'm not," Luna muttered, shaking her head.

"Yeah, after all that happened to us regarding him, it's hard to be surprised," Ruby agreed.

"Understatement of the century," the silver wolf said. "So how do these dimensional disturbance detectors work?"

"We're not entirely sure ourselves," Diego explained, "But our friend described it as harnessing the same energy TD uses to detect when something bad is about to happen. So basically, they possess an internal energy that allows them to accurately predict the future."

"Remind me later to rant to you all how that is another thing that is impossible," Luna instructed. "But for right now, I'll take your word for it."

"One thing I've learned Luna is that some things that are impossible in one world are possible in another," Diego commented. "Plus, TD's been known to achieve the impossible."

"Whatever you sa-" A knock at the door interrupted Luna's reply, and in walked a nurse.

"Miss Greyback," she addressed. "It's time for us to check to see how your tail is healing." Luna gave a nod, slipped off the bed and made her way towards the doorway. The nurse turned back to the other occupants of the room. "You four may come along if you so choose, but I still ask that you leave room for me to work, please," she told them. The four Huntsmen gave their agreements and followed her out.

Walking a few rooms down, the nurse asked Luna to hop onto an examination table while she fired up the necessary equipment. The wolf Faunus obeyed, yet immediately regretted literally hopping onto the table as a jolt of pain went up her spine. It was bearable compared to what she went through hours earlier, but it still hurt enough to make her wince. The nurse walked back over and laid a black cloth over one end of the table before reaching towards Luna to undo the binding that kept her tail strapped to her back.

"Okay, we're gonna do a deep tissue scan. This way we'll be able to see exactly what's going on with the bones, nerves and muscle tissue," she explained, laying the limb on top of the black cloth. The nurse grabbed what looked a little like a metal detector wand off the nearby counter, and ran the device along the length of the tail from base to tip, just hovering over the limb. The device gave off a loud beep, likely signalling a completed scan.

The nurse turned away and attached the device to a nearby moniter, which immediately sparked to life with a display of various images. One easily an x-ray of the thin bones of the tail. The one beside it held odd, flashy, branch-like structures. And the third image looked like a bunch of bands stacked and wrapped around one another. The nurse gestured to the second image.

"Well, your nerve endings seemed to have healed nicely and are functioning properly," she stated before pointed to the first image. "And all those fractures and breaks are well on their way as well.

"However," she looked to the third image. "It appears not much has changed recently to your muscle tissue. I wouldn't worry about this, as your Aura is likely choosing to focus on what it deems to be the more serious issue," she reassured. "And speaking of your Aura, it has risen back to normal levels since the induced depletion. And I'd say at the pace it's working, you should be fully recovered no later than tomorrow morning."

Luna was relieved to hear this, as was her friends.

"Well that's great to know," Weiss commented what they were all thinking.

The wolf Faunus then asked, "How much longer do I need to keep the splint on? It's itchy and stiffer than a board."

The nurse chuckled. "Just until later tonight, I'd wager. I'm sure you've been told, but the tail won't heal right if you move it at this time."

"Yeah, I know," the silver she-wolf grumbled quietly, much to Diego's amusement. The nurse redid the bindings before leading the five back to Luna's room. Said Faunus immediately belly-flopped onto the bed, groaning loudly into the pillow.

"Why don't they just put a cone on me to add to my misery..." she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Because I believe that's called 'animal cruelty' even if you're not technically an animal," Diego replied. "Unless you count the Cone of Shame. Works like a charm in keeping talking dogs in line."

"Stuffing talking snakes into a pillow case seems to work like a charm as well," Luna remarked with a mixture of humor and slight annoyance in her tone.

"Alright Wolfie," Diego chuckled, using a teasing voice, "Are you gonna complain all day, or look on the bright side? You're still alive and by tomorrow you'll still be in one piece. I'd say that's a win in and of itself."

"In the eyes of an optimist, maybe," Weiss muttered.

"I reserve my right to complain," the Faunus defended. "Not only is it sore, but this is uncomfortable as Hell. Imagine having one of your legs bent in a way it isn't supposed to, and then having it strapped firmly into that position. Unable to move even a little."

"Been there, done that, almost cost me my life," Diego stated bluntly, and the look in his eyes said that he wasn't joking.

"Oh! Did the doctors ever figure out why your Aura didn't protect you from that Grimm?" Ruby asked suddenly.

Yang's eyes widen a bit. "That's right, I forgot about that," she said.

"That one lies in the fault of the user, yours truly," Luna answered. "While I did use it to protect my entire body, I didn't use much at all to shield my tail. Guess some part of my brain thought that area didn't need as much protecting as the rest of me. So when I had my guard down, the Creep was able to bite through my Aura like paper."

"A flaw I learned to correct early on, mostly out of my overcautious nature in my youth," Diego spoke, "Now, it's second nature to me."

"Oh please, you're still young. Or at least, your body is," the silver she-wolf retorted.

Diego shook his head in amusement. "As TD would probably put it, 'There is still so much that you can't possibly understand.' But, I'm not TD, so I can allow it to go unchecked." He smirked. "Unless you commit a crime."

Luna sighed. "Well then, going back to what we were talking about before. What's our plan?"

Diego smiled. "We use our friend's toys to keep a lookout for any possible threats. In the meantime, TD's interference with their plans give us a window of time through which to train and prepare ourselves for war. Because a war is exactly what we're to expect, unfortunately."

For the next hour, the five Huntsmen discussed what their next move would be against the Queens. By then, the nurse from earlier had walked back in, saying that visiting hours were over and that they must leave.

"Well then, I'll see you guys tomorrow morning," Luna said, laying on her stomach with her pillow under her arms. "If you need me, I'll be here watching Jeopardy."

The others all gave their goodbyes and left the room, presumably to head back to the hotel. Diego hesitated for a moment longer to give Luna a smile.

"I guess I was wrong about one thing," he said to her with a smile, "You just might be able to prevent some of the disasters of this Remnant from occurring in your own through your actions in this war."

The wolf Faunus gave him a smile and nodded, an appreciative gleam in her blue eyes.

Diego nodded and started to leave again, but paused at the doorway.

"There's a reason why I am tolerant of TD you know," he said mysteriously, "I guess you could say... we share a common bond."

He then left without another word, giving the Faunus something to ponder for the night.

"Well okay then," she said to no one in particular before turning back to the TV. "Oh! 1990s Animated Films. Love this category!"

* * *

"This is a terrible setback, Ma'am," Watts said to Salem as they mulled over the events of that day. With them was also the rest of their council, along with their duplicates (minus one Cinder) and a particular Faunus who ran the White Fang.

"Agreed," Salem mentioned, "TD is a foe that I had not expected to encounter. This is... unsettling to say the least.

"What power could one human possibly have that leaves you of all people worried?" Asked Adam Taurus - the one from Luna's Remnant - spitting the word 'human' as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"You clearly don't understand the threat this one holds, Adam," Salem replied to the Faunus, her steel glare holding only complete seriousness, "He is far more dangerous than you could ever comprehend. Addmittedly, even my own powers are not enough to defeat him."

"You say this as if you've fought him personally," the second Salem noted.

"I was forced to fight on the same side as our enemies to prevent our plans from being jeopardized," the first Salem explained. "The power he wields... it is not to be underestimated."

"And what about the deserter from his world?" Asked the Adam from this Remnant, nodding his head in the direction of his counterpart. "From what you described, she's smarter and more skilled than you initially believed. She was able to not only bring down an ancient, powerful Grimm, but she also managed to keep up with your sorry excuse for a Maiden over here, however brief that battle was."

Cinder growled at the insult, her eyes glowing, but calmed herself when Salem simply raised a hand to silence the half-Maiden.

"Cinder is not to be found at fault for her failure to defeat the deserter," she explained, "For Miss Greyback is not the first to have challenged the might of one with such power and succeeded."

She didn't say the name, but they all knew she was referring to Diego.

"For the time being," the second Salem continued, "We will have to double our efforts and proceed with caution. We cannot afford any other setbacks like today."

"Then you'll live to be disappointed, my dear," a foreign, yet familiar voice spoke from the entrance of the room. Both Salems and the majority of their council looked up in alarm as an egnigmatic figure appeared in the room.

"You're not making yourself a very splendid figure, Salem," TD remarked, a smirk on his face, "Sloppy. Very sloppy."

Both Adams had drawn their weapons, Wilt in hand and Blush aimed at the entity.

"How did you find this place?" The alternate Adam demanded with a growl.

"Very easily," TD said mysteriously, showing no fear to the threats given him. "I suggest you put those weapons away before someone gets hurt."

"You speak as if you think you stand a chance against all of us," the same Adam responded, an overconfident grin on his face.

"Oh I don't think," TD replied as Diego's Salem and the members of her council started to back away with a look of fear, "I KNOW."

TD lifted his hands, and suddenly both Adam's found themselves being choked by an unseen, unbreakable grip on their throats, levitating a foot off the ground. Cinder immediately fired a blast of magic at TD, but before it even reached him, it disintegrated in midair, much to her shock and horror.

"Much to learn, you still have," TD mocked, putting on a different voice when he spoke.

* * *

 **Wow. TD, you are either very brave or very stupid to try that on Salem. Which is it?**

 **"Brave."**

 **Luna: "Stupid, but that has nothing to do with Salem."**

 **Chey: I partially agree with the first part, but the rest was a bit much.**

 **Perhaps, but I do my best to please the public eye.**

 **"And I just cause trouble here and there. Both are working so far."**

 **Luna: "And why did you have me nearly lose my tail?! That hurt, you know!"**

 **Chey: Um...seemed like a good idea? Wait, not like that, I-**

 **Luna: "Why you little...! *tackles*"**

 **Oh dear... See ya guys in the next one! Meanwhile, we'll be trying to stop those two from ripping each other's throats out.**

 **"Get the tasers... *sound of electricity amplifying*"**


	6. An Old Team and Adam's Fate

"I don't know about you guys, but I enjoyed this week," TD chuckled as he stood among the council of Salem and her duplicate. For a full week, he had done nothing but cause them trouble, whether it was simply to be a nuisance or by actually attacking them outright. And the best part? They were powerless to stop him, despite the numerous futile attempts made by Adam and his own duplicate. Currently, the two of them were standing in front of TD as he gave them an amused look, clearly not feeling at all threatened by the two Faunus.

"What are you?" The alternate Adam demanded, Wilt and Blush in hand.

TD smiled again as he spoke. "I am the Terror of Dimensions, the most powerful being in all existence. Well, after God and next to my brothers."

"Are you here simply to vex us, or does this visit serve a purpose?" questioned the other Adam - the one from this world.

"My friend, everything serves a purpose, however small," TD remarked, "In this instance, I've simply been allowing my friends time to prepare for your next onslaught before I was forced to leave."

At hearing this, Salem - the one from the other Remnant - growled and released a burst of energy in his direction. TD simply sidestepped out of the way as if it was nothing to be concerned about.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I have more pressing matters to worry about," TD stated, his image disappearing slowly and gradually. "Toodles!"

As he started to disappear, he snapped his fingers and with a final sarcastic, "Oops! Clumsy me!" he was gone.

* * *

It would've been a quiet day outside of Mistrel if it wasn't for the sound of gunshots in a forest clearing nearby. Thankfully, it was no true battle that was being conducted, but a friendly spar with some friends as Diego Kapila tested his skills out on his friends. Sometimes individually, sometimes all at once.

"Nice recovery there, Ruby!" he congratulated the young Huntress as he barely missed a strike from her scythe after having knocked her off her feet earlier. "You're improving quite well!"

"I'll say!" Their friend Luna called out from the sideline, whom was currently hanging upside down from a tree branch doing crunches. She groaned irritably and once again moved her bandana around so it would stop tickling her nose each time she came back down.

After leaving the hospital a week ago, the wolf Faunus decided that since she would be in this new world for an indefinite amount of time, she may as well update her look while she was here. She now sported a black single-sleeved crop top, whose sleeve stopped just above her right elbow. A light grey bandana was tied loosely, cowboy-style around her neck. On the same arm, she wore a leather cuff along with two bangle bracelets. On her left arm, her shoulder was bare, and she wore a black vambrace on her forearm with her blue-eyed wolf emblem painted on the front. Black fingerless gloves adorned both hands, with small metal spikes on the knuckles.

She traded her black jeans for a pair of short shorts, a white belt sitting diagonally on her hips with two thin chains hanging from it, and a silver crescent moon buckle in the front. She kept the leather strap around her right thigh that served as a holster for Solstice. And finally, a pair a dark grey heeled boots completed the look, stopping just above her knees and buckled just below.

"You think that's great, watch what happens when an entire team takes Kapila on!" Qrow called from a distance, mostly out of necessity to supervise the fight. Although "supervise" was being generous, as Diego basically was running the whole thing. He even allowed the so-called "dirty plays" as he felt that one should use any advantage available to them.

"Careful Qrow!" Diego joked as he deflected Ruby's scythe yet again, almost throwing her off balance, "Don't give Yang any ideas!"

"Too late!" Yang called behind him, grinning in amusement at the fight before her.

"Let me know ahead of time when that happens, so I can buy popcorn and snacks for the show!" Luna replied grinning herself, now sitting upright on the tree branch, the heat of the day and growing pressure of blood filling her head having finally become too much to bear.

"You might not have long to wait," Blake noted, sitting in the shade of a tree nearby. "My cousin has ways of making such things occur much quicker than they should."

"Oh, I'm SO getting you back for that, Kitten!" Diego called over to her as he managed to disarm Ruby and force her into hand-to-hand combat.

"Kick his butt, Lil Red!" The wolf Faunus cheered, mentally rolling her eyes knowing Weiss was pleased she was able to hold her tongue. Ruby seemed to be encouraged by Luna's words and struck out at Diego. However, it soon became apparent that while Ruby's unarmed combat was impressive, Diego was simply toying with her, not even trying to throw his all into the fight. After a moment, when Ruby seemed to tire out, Diego moved in and finished the fight with a few well-laid blows.

"And, roll the credits!" he joked, helping Ruby to her feet.

"Boo!" Luna called out, throwing an acorn at the Rogue, which he easily dodged with a laugh. "Three stars! Maybe two! I want an alternate ending! Give the little guys the glory!" She ranted playfully.

"Sure! When rabbits fly!" Diego ranted back. Just as he said that, a bird-like figure flew down towards him and landed on a stump. Taking a closer look, the group realized it was a robotic bird, and it looked rather cute.

"It's one of the drones!" Ruby squealed, "It came back for us!"

"If it asks for a voice key, shoot it," the silver she-wolf commented half-jokingly.

Diego shook his head in amusement, then walked over to the bird. The bird opened one of its eyes widely and a scanner came out and scanned the rogue's own eye, then it started speaking in a series of chirps and clicks. Diego listened intently, as if in the middle of a conversation, then stood up and looked to the others.

"Good news and bad news," he said, "Bad news is, TD's window of time is up. We're on our own there. The good news is, the drones have picked up a disturbance. Some others have crossed over, but they don't seem to be hostiles."

"More people from Luna's Remnant are here?" Blake asked surprised, rising from her spot in the tree's shade to approach the group. Luna followed right behind her, slipping down from the branch with furrowed brows.

"Yep," Diego nodded, "But they aren't the alternates of Team RWBY or JNPR, or any team I've heard of from Remnant. Perhaps one that's unique to Luna's world only?"

"We need to find them," Luna stated immediately. "If the wormhole is still open, then that means it's possible other civilians could pass through. With this world now twice as dangerous as before, we should get them to safety, if needed."

"Agreed," Qrow spoke up. "Diego, ask your bird friend to find lead us to them."

Diego smiled. "Birdy, take us to the newcomers."

The drone tweeted, then flew up into the air, stopping on a branch occasionally so the group could catch up with it.

"Birdy?" Weiss asked Diego.

"Hey, I'm not the one who named them," Diego shrugged.

"Birdy" flew to the west for several minutes before letting out a loud series of chirp-like clicks, right around the same moment the group heard yells of struggle and familiar growls.

"That way!" Ruby commanded, following the noise with the others close behind her. As soon as they were right on top of where the noise was coming from, the large body of an Ursa crashed right into their path, startling the group, before disappearing. As soon as the black smoke cleared, the group was given a clear view of the fight in front of them.

Three Faunus - another wolf, a rabbit, and some type of lizard - were in the midst of a battle between four other Ursas - three Minors, one Major. The weapons in their hands identified them as Huntsmen, but none that any but one of them recognized. Said person was currently in shock at the sight of familiar faces.

 _It can't be..._ She thought in disbelief. _Not them...they can't be in the middle of all this!_

"Come on, we gotta help!" came Jaune's command as the others charged into battle, leaving the stunned she-wolf behind. Luna couldn't move from where she stood, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribcage and a lump forming in her throat. What felt like nearly a lifetime later, the wolf Faunus finally blinked out of her stupor only to find the fight already nearing its end. Only two Grimm remained: a Minor and the Major. The problem being the size of the Major.

Luna had seen her fair share of large Grimm, but this was the biggest Ursa she had ever seen, almost the size of the head of a King Taijitu! And the numerous spines and plates of bone armor told her this was a much older Grimm, and therefore a lot smarter. This was proven as she observed the fight, the beast managing to evade attacks with ease and waiting to strike when it saw an opening.

This didn't seem to deter Diego however, who almost seemed to be enjoying himself, as he ducked under the swipe of the Grimm, trying to land a few blows of his own. The Ursa, as before, dodged the rogue's attacks and seemed to be winning the fight. It managed to back Diego into a corner... and then the rogue smirked at the Ursa. In a flash, the tides changed. The Ursa suddenly found its prey eluding its attacks like they were child's play, striking with precision and lightning-fast reflexes. Any weakness Diego had shown before had been a rouse. Anyone smart enough or trained enough in combat realized that Diego had merely been testing the Grimm before, and was now moving in for the kill.

The Ursa roared as he tried to swipe Diego again, but the rogue somehow stopped the creature's arm with his left arm, then landed a hard punch to it with his other hand. The Ursa roared in pain as its arm went limp. It tried with the other arm, but with roughly the same results. Diego smirked, then a glow came from his body momentarily as he used his Semblance to access his girlfriend's power and landed a final blow to the Ursa's skull. It was enough to send the Ursa flying back several yards before crumbling away into smoke.

By now, the rest of his friends had finished off the other Ursa and were looking to the Faunus team. Diego checked to see that there was no more danger, then raised his hands in a friendly gesture.

"Hello there," he said to the Faunus team, "You guys okay?"

"I'd say yes, but define 'okay'," the female rabbit Faunus answered, regarding the newcomers cautiously. As she spoke, she reattached a long chain to her belt with a large curved blade on one end.

"Where are we? Oh, I'm Blitz, by the way," the lizard Faunus answered, holding his hand out in introduction. Diego smiled and extended his own hand.

"Diego Kaplia, the Dancing Rogue," he said, "It's nice to see more of my cousin species that aren't actively trying to hunt me down." He then gestured to his friends. "That's Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, my distant cousin Blake Belladona, and my girlfriend Yang Xiao Long. And... wait!" He looked back to where Luna was still standing in shock. "Hey Wolfie, you good back there?"

"Who you calling 'Wolfie'?" The rabbit Faunus asked, turning her head in the direction Diego had spoken. Her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. Then, a wide grin apread across the girl's face, rabbit ears twitching with excitement. Faster than Diego could register, the rabbit girl had dashed over to Luna and wrapped her arms around the silver wolf. "Omigosh, I can't believe it's you! I thought we'd never see you again!"

"Who you talkin' to, V?" Asked the male wolf Faunus, looking in the same direction, his face turning to a similar look of surprise. He then grinned, shaking his head and making his way over, "Well, I'll be damned. Thought you were gone for good, Bitch," he somehow said with a friendly tone.

Snapping out of her stupor, Luna smiled and hugged the rabbit Faunus back before addressing the other wolf. "Nah, I like you lot too much, Stud," she answered, her eyes beginning to blur with unshed tears.

"Um, hate to break up your reunion," Weiss stated, "But watch the language please!"

"Well, unexpected but not unwelcome," Diego muttered, then aloud, "How did you guys end up here?"

Blitz spoke up, crossing his spike-covered arms over his chest.

"We have no idea. We were on a search-and-destroy mission in the Kingdom of Vale, and next thing we know we're here."

"Better question is how did you end up here?" The rabbit girl squealed, releasing her grip on Luna, her question aimed at said girl. "I thought you went back with the Fang!"

"I did," The she-wolf croaked, now able to breathe properly. She cleared her throat, "It's a bit of a long story. I'm just glad to see you guys again."

Blitz walked over with a smile. "It's great to see you again, too, Luna," he said, kneeling down to their level and hugging the silver wolf. When she glanced at the other wolf, he immediately held up his hands.

"Don't even think about it, Bitch. You know I'm not a hugger," he said in a dismissive manner.

Luna just smiled. "I missed you, too, Jax," she replied before realizing they had an audience. "Oh, sorry, manners. Guys, this is Team BLNC. This is Blitz Thornwood, our leader," she introduced the lizard Faunus, who gave a polite nod. "His partner, Violet Noire," the rabbit Faunus gave a cheery wave. "And my partner, Jackson Cobalt." The other wolf Faunus just gave a grunt, along with a peace sign. "Don't let the grumpiness fool you, he's a softy inside," Luna teased, chuckling when he growled a warning to her, his own canines bared.

Diego giggled. "I expected backup, but this is much more than I expected." He shook his head. "TD, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had come over to meet the Faunus team.

"Hi!" Ruby greeted, shaking Blitz's hand. "Wow! I only saw a lizard Faunus once, and that was from a distance! It's so cool to see one in person!"

Blitz smiled at the young reaper's very enthusiastic personality. "Thank you. Although, I'm afraid I cannot share in your excitement, seeing as I see humans everywhere," he joked lightly. "And if you'd like specifics, I am what you'd call a 'Thorny Devil'. Which is what these are all about," he stated while gesturing to the many brown spikes that poked through the skin of his forearms.

Yang chuckled at her sister's excitement and walked over to Jackson.

"Welcome to our Remnant, I suppose," she greeted. "Though that drone of ours could've been more specific on who we were meeting."

"Birdy did fine," Blake said in defense of the robot, who was perched on her shoulder at the moment, "He's programmed only to do so much."

"The pleasure is all mine," the black-haired wolf Faunus replied smoothly, a charming grin on his face. His eyes openly checked out the blonde beauty and her partner rather appreciatively. "I don't believe I caught your names, by the way."

"One is taken, and the other may or may not be, Stud!" His partner called out to him. Jackson turned to face the silver she-wolf in disbelief at the new information.

"Seriously?! Are there any females around here that aren't taken?!" He exclaimed in a frustrated tone, then growling once more when his partner laughed at his misfortune. With a huff, he retracted the long blades that made up the claws of his gauntlets, his eyes glaring daggers at Luna whom continued to laugh. "You better sleep with both eyes open, Greyback."

Luna gasped with dramatic shock, her hand covering her mouth. "Coming to visit a lady in her chambers late at night! Why Jackson, I know your mother taught you better than that!" She teased with mischief-filled eyes, giggling once more at her partner's annoyance. She wasn't bothered by this, though, knowing this was just him being him.

 _He thinks he's an asshat, but he does care. I can tell, and he knows it too,_ She thought nostalgically with a smile. _His eyes betray his words and tone._

"Well, this might be a lot for you guys to take in right now," Qrow stated as he walked closer to the group, "Why don't you guys come with us to our 'base of operations' where we can talk with a little more ease about what's going on."

Jackson immediately narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Give me one good reason why we should trust you. Just cuz you saved our tails doesn't mea-"

"Now hold on, Jackson," Blitz interrupted calmly with a pointed look. "Do you honestly think Luna would be with them if they weren't trustworthy? You know how paranoid she is."

Said silver she-wolf spoke up, "There is a difference between being paranoid, and being on my guard!"

"I think they're pretty cool!" Violet said with a bright smile. Realizing he was outvoted, Jackson just growled again in defeat, his ears flattening against his head in agitation.

Luna perked up, her tail wagging excitedly behind her. "Come on, I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the gang!" She said with unusual glee, leading the other three Faunus away with the group.

"And for the record," Diego piped up, "If we really weren't on your side, I guarantee you'd be dead by now."

"I don't know. I'd say they stood a fair chance," Ren suggested, trying to weigh things in favor of the newcomers.

"Sure," Qrow laughed. "Three of them against all of us."

"Well, to be fair, we've faced similar odds before," Weiss noted.

Curling his lip and canines bared, Jackson reactivated his gauntlets, the claw blades springing out with blinding speed. "You want to test that theory, smart ass?" He growled, ears flattening.

Luna intervened. "Jax, calm your tits. Your small ego is showing, and we're in public," she deadpanned, though she couldn't help the mischievous grin on her face. Her partner glared at her before retractING his weapon once more and stomped off ahead. Jogging to catch up to him, Luna jumped onto the boy's back and held on while he simply kept walking.

"Hey, I'm sorry, alright," she said calmly, resting her chin on top his head. He grunted, ignoring her. She lightly blew air onto the furry ears on top his head, knowing it would irritate him. His ears twitched before he shook the girl off and wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her into a headlock. Luna laughed while shoving him away playfully, glad to see that she was able to get a smile out of him.

"Come on, slowpokes!" Diego shouted as he got ahead, "The pizza's gonna get cold back at the hotel!"

"Since when did you get pizza over there?" Yang asked him as she jogged over to him.

"The spar between you and Luna lasted for about five minutes," Diego stated, "I had plenty of prep time. And a little help from one of the drones."

"Dibs on the first three slices!" The silver she-wolf called out before taking off in a dash, racing back to their base of operations.

* * *

"...and now we're here fighting against double the enemies from before," Ozpin/Oscar finished with his explanation to the newcomers as they sat around the living room. Several boxes of pizza were lying around the place, some of which were empty. Clearly, they had decided to have lunch while Oz explained the situation in full.

The three members of Team BLNC all had similar shocked expressions on their faces. Each of them unsure of what to say in response to all the new information.

Luna knew exactly what they were thinking and answered them aloud. "Yeah, pretty crazy the first time you hear it, huh?"

Jackson's eyes snapped sharply in her direction. "Wait, you believe all of this? He's not pulling our legs?" He rapidly questioned.

His partner nodded. "I almost didn't believe it completely myself when they told me. But it was hard to not to after I met the Queen herself," she revealed.

Violet gasped, "You met...Salem, was it?" A nod was her received answer. "Oh my gods...what was she like?"

Luna grew very quiet as the memory flashed through her mind. She would never be able to forget so long as she lived. After several moments, she spoke, "She was...terrifying. That's the only way I can describe her. I may have seemed calm, but inside I wanted to scream and run like I would've done when I was a kid...and it wasnt because I was face to face with the leader of the creatures of darkness that plague our worlds. No...it was...I never expected her to look so...human." She said with a slight tremble in her voice, her hands gripping her biceps in discomfort. "And those eyes...I'll never be able to unsee them...I felt like she was looking into my very soul..."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Diego agreed, "Despite my being with her for the longest of times."

There was silence, then...

"You're shitting me, right?" Jackson asked, his face calm but his eyes filled with disgust. "You were...with...oh gods, I think I'm gonna be sick..." The black wolf held his belly as his stomach churned uneasily at the horrid images that flooded through his head without his consent.

Violet couldn't speak, but her face went deathly white. Luna made sure to keep an eye on her in case the young rabbit possibly fainted. Blitz was just speechless, his jaw opening and closing, trying to forms words but saying nothing. Finally, he just said, "Well, I think Jackson's comment is the only somewhat appropriate response to news like that."

"Frankly, I don't blame him," Diego replied, "And I count it as one of my greatest mistakes. But the thing is, that was about a hundred years ago or more. Back then, she was less... terrifying. And my time with her kind of revealed a bit of a softer side to her. My Salem, that is. Yours, I seriously doubt she has a good side to her."

"A hundred..." Jackson started to say before falling backwards onto the couch with a loud disbelieving groan, covering his face with his hands. Following that, he quickly sat back up and glared at Diego. "Alright, no more beating around the fucking bush. No more surprises. If there is anything else we need to know, say it right fucking now," he demanded, jabbing his finger on the wooden coffee table for emphasis.

Luna gave her partner a similar glare. "Stand down, Jax. And watch your tongue," she commanded sharply, albeit the last part made her sound hypocritical. The two wolves locked eyes and stared each other down for several seconds, a silent battle of authority. Luna's tail twitched idly while Jackson's ears turned backwards. Finally, he looked away with a huff, silently admitting defeat. Luna just raised her chin the tiniest bit, her ego and pride growing.

She looked to Diego and said, "He is right, though. I don't think it's best to leave anything out."

"Okay then..." Diego cleared his throat. "Long and short of it: I was born sometime before or perhaps even during the Great War. My father was a human, while my mother was a copperhead viper Faunus. I met Salem when I was sixteen after she spared my life during an attack on a caravan I was traveling with."

"Even to this day, we're not sure why she spared him out of everyone else," Yang added.

"She offered to help me overcome my fears, to which I accepted. Foolish maybe, but I was always a bit of a 'shoot first, ask questions later' kind of kid. She helped me overcome my fears of the Grimm... by literally having me stand before them several times with no means of protecting myself."

"And you're not dead, why?" Came the black-haired wolf's question. Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes.

 _Is he the spokesperson all of a sudden, now?_

"Oh I almost did die on a few occasions," Diego laughed, "But I learned, and soon I was practically invisible to the eyes of the Grimm... or at least in regards to fear. It was during one of these times of overcoming fear that I had an arranged marriage, but not by my family's hands. No, that honor is reserved to the late family of my former 'fiance', Katherin. Or Kitty, as I liked to call her."

"People still do that stuff?" Violet asked incredulously, her ears straightening in a similar manner. Her face contorted to a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

"Apparently," Luna replied with a scoff, her expression nearly the same, as she crossed her arms and sat back in her seat.

Diego nodded, then continued. "I accepted the offer, but not in the way her father would've expected or wanted. I simply did it as a means to keep unwanted suitors from trying to take her in the same manner. If anything, she became like a sister to me. Fast forward to sometime after my eighteenth birthday, when things got serious. By then, my relationship with Salem had... well, no details or explanations required. But anyways, about a week after my birthday, it all went downhill." He sighed as he remembered that event. "Salem attacked a village Kitty happened to be staying in at the time. She was an unintended victim caught in the crossfire. But it still caused me to snap." Yang laid a hand on his shoulder as he spoke. "And that's when it happened. In my rage and sorrow, I accidentally activated my Semblance and copied Salem's powers, thus causing a chain reaction to take place within me that transformed me... into a Grimm."

"You turned into a Grimm?" Blitz repeated slowly, an unsure brow raised.

"Okay, NOW he has to be messing with us!" Jackson insisted stubbornly, but was once again denied when Luna shook her head and shrugged. "Wha- he's serious?!"

"I mean, he's already said so many crazy stuff that's true. Why make something up now?" Violet offered quietly in defense of the Rogue.

"I can prove it to you outside later on if you doubt it," Diego offered. "Anyways, somehow I made Salem run for the hills and thenI swore never to rest until I had avenged those I had lost, whether by ending Salem myself or through another. As such... I ended up cursing myself and was unable to age throughout the remaining eighty years or so. During this time, I trained to become the best warrior in Remnant, which I'd say I was quite successful at doing. Not that it was fun, and I got no grace out of that. At the most, I got involved with Oz and his side of the battle." Diego smiled now, seeming to reach a better section of his story." Fast forward to about a year ago, when I first met the gang. Starting with Ruby when she met Roman Torchwick and tried to take him down. Shortly after, I met Yang and as time rolled on, the rest of the group. For the first time since Salem, I found peace and happiness again. And from that point onwards, you probably know the rest."

Luna groaned in frustration. "I told you this before, and I will tell you one more time: You aren't the best. There is no 'best'. There never was, and there never will be a 'best'," she stated with finality clear in each word. "The higher the pedestal you put yourself on, the faster you lose your balance, and the faster you'll fall. And from a height like that, you won't get back up."

Like clockwork came a scoff from her partner. "Please, I say 'challenge accepted'," He retorted with an eye roll, crossing his arms lazily behind his head. "I don't even know why you keep up with all these philosophies of yours. It's not like anyone cares, or listens for that matter."

"Well then it's a good thing I didn't ask for your opinion," The silver she-wolf shot back.

Violet spoke up before things could escalate further. "Guys, come on, don't start now. We have more important things to worry about."

"Like a really big army of White Fang that may or may not be approaching our location very soon?" Yang asked.

"Well, I wouldn't be that specific, but yeah. That just about sums things up," Diego agreed. He then seemed to register what she had said and looked over at her with a confused expression. "Out of curiosity, why that threat specifically?"

Yang held up her scroll which showed a live feed from one of the drones they had set loose earlier. And in the camera feed could be seen an entire legion of White Fang slowly making their way in the direction of Mistral.

"You've got to be kidding me," Diego muttered, not looking too surprised.

"Aw, fuck me running..." Luna cursed under her breath - which didn't go unheard by Weiss - nervously pushing her silver bangs out of her face.

"Is the other Adam with them?" Ilia asked, finally speaking after remaining quiet in the corner.

"Or either or both of them, for that matter?" Blake added, her brows furrow in with worry.

"Both," Diego said immediately, after just one glance at the monitor. "And at least one of them looks pissed. Guess TD ruined more than just their schedule."

'Three guesses which,' Luna thought with grit teeth and a churning stomach. 'No, not now...' She wasn't ready to face him. She knew it was inevitable that she would have to, but not now...

"We need to stop them before they get to the main Kingdom!" Violet said urgently, standing from her chair.

"Um, how are we gonna do that?" Jackson interjected. "That is an entire army from another dimension, and there are only 17 of us!"

"Not to mention the two psychotic leaders with deadly Semblances," Blitz added solemnly.

"What IS their Semblance?" Diego asked, "I've never bothered trying to copy it before, so I'm a bit clueless."

Luna swallowed the lump in her throat and managed to speak clearly. "He calls it 'Moonslice'. It works kind of similarly to Yang's...except when he absorbs energy from attacks, he doesn't just redirect it back with twice the power..."

"...He completely obliterates the target." Blake finished, remembering the numerous times she had seen his power in action. "Not a trace is left. It just disappears like a Grimm."

"Nice, assuming you're not on the receiving end," Diego commented. He then looked over to Yang, who seemed to be in a moment of shock. He really didn't blame her, considering that she had been that close to being killed by the Faunus in question. Walking over to her, he laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Hey, it'll be okay," he told her, "He's not harming you again. Not on my watch." He then turned his attention to Blake. "Same goes to you, Kitten."

"How are we supposed to compete against THAT?" Weiss asked increduously. "One was bad enough, and now there's two!"

"Add in the fact that our reinforcements from Menagerie are already on their way back to the continent," Sun said, rubbing the back of his head.

Diego looked to them with determination. A look was in his eyes that seemed to be a bit dangerous.

"You guys take out the army," he said, "Leave Adam and his twin to me."

"Hell no," Luna stated with narrowed eyes, standing. "If you want to fight the one from here, by all means. But the one from our world is my fight. You're powerful, Diego, but you're not invincible. And besides, taking him out was and still is my job alone."

Diego looked like he wanted to protest, but he wisely stepped down.

"Very well, suit yourself," he remarked, "I won't stop you, but if you do end up biting off more than you can chew, I'm saving your life whether you like or not."

"Hang on a second," Blitz said rising from his seat as well. He pointed at Luna. "You're not going after him on your own. You're gonna need backup."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're not my leader anymore, so you don't get to make calls fo-"

"You may not attend classes with us anymore, but we are always a team," The taller male stated, his calm demeanor beginning to slip as his voice raised an octave. He gestured to Team JNPR. "Their teammate is dead, but they still are and always will be a team of four. I don't give a damn if your 'job' came from Sienna Khan herself, you are not facing that monster by yourself! And I say that as your friend, not your team lead-"

"But that's the problem!" Luna snapped, her blue eyes beginning to tinge with gold. "I already lost one family, I'm not gonna lose this one!" The whole room went silent from her outburst. "I couldn't save my parents from humans, but I WILL protect you three from Adam."

Jackson tried to interject. "Who the hell says we need prote-"

"SHUT IT, COBALT." Her startled partner's eyes widened and he jolted backwards a bit from her tone, silencing immediately. She continued her rant, "I should have killed that bastard the second I saw him slaughter an innocent human, but I didn't. I've let this go on for too long, and goddammit I will stop him if it kills me!"

"Luna," Diego interrupted, "I understand how you feel, but you won't get anywhere this way." He gave her a pleading expression. "Please, don't make the same mistake I did."

"Mistake?" Yang asked, "You never made any mistake like that before-"

"Later, Yang," he said to her, "It's not an easy topic for me."

Luna's next words slipped out without thought. "I'm not gonna make the same mistake you did. I'm actually going to take care of my past before it gets innocent people hurt, or worse, killed."

Yang snapped, "Hey! That's hitting below the belt, Greyback!"

"You know it's true, Xiao Long," The silver she-wolf retorted. "Don't think us being friends means I'm gonna sugar-coat anything."

"But you don't have to be so mean abou-" Ruby tried saying before Luna cut her off.

"I'm not being mean, Ruby. I'm telling it how it is. And sometimes, the truth is a cold, merciless punch to the groin."

"If you kids are done fighting," Qrow intervened, holing up the monitor screen, "They're at the perimeter."

Diego looked at his own scroll and realized it was true.

"We'll talk about this later I suppose," he said, standing up. "The only good I'm gonna get out of this is the look of surprise on those terrorists' faces when they see what I've got in store for them."

Luna immediately stepped into the Rogue's path and stared him down, her tail swaying rapidly. "Do NOT get in my way," she warned sharply, her lip curling with a suppressed snarl. "You take care of your problem, and I'll take care of mine. I WILL kick your ass if ANY of you try to intervene."

"Try not to die, and that won't be a problem," Diego stated bluntly. He then rushed out the door with Yang hot on his heels.

The silver she-wolf growled lowly to herself before taking off after them, the others not far behind.

* * *

"You know, I find it kind of cruel that we're both forced to go in the same direction to reach our targets," Diego said to Luna as they rushed through the battlefield later on. They had ambushed the White Fang army halfway to the city and while the rest of the team kept them busy, Diego and Luna had taken advantage of the chaos to make their way to their respective Adam, both of whom were ironically at the far end of the battle. Luna didn't say anything, instead keeping her eyes on both Adams, ironically like a wolf stalking it's prey.

"Luna, I know what you're probably thinking," Diego said, "but maybe you should reconsider the 'kill Adam' mentality."

"If it comes down to it, I will," she deadpanned, eyes still glued to her target's every move. "Besides, would you rather on- er, two guilty people dead, or millions of innocents?"

"I've learned that sometimes, people don't deserve to die," Diego noted, "Although I won't argue that your logic has some ground."

"You're right. Death is too good for some individuals," Luna added. "So say I don't kill him, the bastard sure as Hell won't get to breathe without having to look over his shoulder every three seconds."

"I would demonetize you if I didn't feel some similar tension towards my own Adam," Diego replied, "After what he did to Yang..." He gave a heavy sigh and his eyes glowed their sickly red color momentarily before disappearing just as fast. "He better pray I don't send him to the ER."

"Still too good for him," The silver she-wolf retorted. She momentarily looked back at her friend with narrowed eyes. "Remember what I said about not getting in my way. Friends or not, I WILL beat the Grimm out of you if you intervene," she warned before returning her gaze to the two red Bulls.

"Don't get killed then," Diego repeated his earlier statement, then turned his attention to the leaders in front of them, who had advanced enough to be within speaking distance. Now that they were closer, Diego noticed that one of the two White Fang terrorists had a scar on his neck that seemed to identify him from the other.

"Diego Kapila," the one with the scar smirked. "Still fighting for the wrong side as always."

"Oh, hilarious!" Diego quipped rudely, "You should be a terrorist leader someday with that attitude. Oh, wait! You are!"

While those two conversed, the other Adam had spotted another pair of ice-blue eyes glaring at him from the trees. He addressed the owner of those eyes, "I'm disappointed in you, Greyback. After everything I did for you, this is how you repay me? Repay all of us? By siding with the humans?" He spat the word like it was poison.

Seeing no point in hiding now that she had been found out, Luna stepped out of the shadows. "I'm surprised you remember me, Adam. You struck me more as a cat person, the last I checked," she retorted, mocking her former mentor. "And you're disappointed in me? I'm not the one who turned their back on our cause and became something much worse than any racist human."

"Shot's fired," Diego muttered. His Adam gave him a look.

"You held so much potential Diego," he said, "And you threw it all away by siding with the one species that hates us the-"

"Stop right there," Diego interrupted, "I am aware that the humans hate Faunus, but I'm also aware that I'm not a full-blooded Faunus." He stared Adam down and a snake-like hiss was heard from him. "You once asked me which side I believed I belonged to. I didn't have an answer then, but I do now." He activated his left gauntlet and held it up so that Adam could see the symbol he had painted on it: a disco ball surrounded by both humans and Faunus.

"My name is Diego Kapila, and I belong to both the humans AND the Faunus," the rogue stated, "I will not choose between them."

"I have carried our cause farther in several months, than it ever has in the last decade!" The bull Faunus exclaimed with grit teeth, eyes likely glaring at Luna behind that mask. "Because of me, humans now know the Faunus are not lesser beings! We are not animals! We are a force of nature to be reckoned with!"

Luna shouted in retaliation, "You proved every bad thing the humans ever said about us right! They believed we were monsters, and you turned us into monsters. You are no better than the humans, and even less noble than the Grimm! At least they cannot control their bloodlust..."

"Enough of this!" Diego's Adam shouted, drawing Wilt and aiming Blush at the rogue. "We finish this here and now!"

"Don't count on it," Diego warned, activating his other gauntlet on the right arm, the gauntlet he had taken from Yang's dismembered arm at the Fall of Beacon. Adam seemed to take interest in the gauntlet.

"Guess I was right about you two after all," he said smugly, "She'll be the first to die once I'm finished with you."

That may not have been the smartest thing to say, because Diego tensed up really badly when he said that, and his eyes glowed their sickly red color again.

"You so much as lay a finger on her, you're dead!" he roared, his voice sounding more like his Grimm voice, "You hear me?! DEAD!"

"You aren't exactly innocent either, now are you, Greyback?" Adam replied. A smug grin emerged onto his face when he saw the wold Faunus's expression shift just the tiniest bit. He had struck a nerve. "How many times have you so much as looked at a human, and wish they would just disappear from existence? How many did you blame for the death of your family? How many did you torture endlessly with your Semblance all with a smile on your face? How many lives have you taken-"

"SHUT UP!" Luna yelled suddenly, her eyes glowing gold as she drew Silver Moon and dashed toward the red bull. Combat had officially commenced between the two sides.

Diego rushed in with blind fury, striking at his bull Faunus with blinding speed and precision, even in his rage. Adam managed to keep up this time while on defensive, however, showing that he had improved since Beacon. He parried one of Diego's punches and then used Blush to fire a round into the rogue's stomach, causing Diego to stumble backwards. Adam then followed up with several sword strikes that the rogue was forced to block himself. Drawing his revolvers, Diego emptied both clips at Adam, who deflected them all with Wilt in hand. Diego then rushed in for his own series of blows. Back and forth, blows were exchanged, but neither seemed to gain a real advantage. Eventually, however, it was apparent that both were tiring out. Adam decided then to make his move. With flawless efficiency, he blasted a round into Diego and made him fall to the ground, then stabbed Wilt through one of Diego's arms and pinned him in place. The rogue cried out in pain as the bull Faunus stared down at him.

"I never did use my Semblance on you before, did I?" he asked mockingly, "I doubt your curse will allow you to come back from disintegration. Say goodbye to all you love, Diego."

He aimed Blush at the rouge again and fired at point blank... only to have it get knocked off course by an insanely fast parry. Even Diego looked surprised as to how he had done that, but he didn't allow his confusion to freeze him up. With a well-aimed blow, his fist connected with Wilt, shattering the sword much to Adam's surprise. Diego pushed Adam off of him, stood up and removed what was left of the blade from his shoulder, staring at the Faunus expectantly. Adam moved in for the kill with Blush, but was stopped by Diego's iron grip on his arm. With his free arm, Diego punched Adam's arm, and a sickening crunching and snapping noise was heard, followed by the leader's cry of pain.

"That's for my girlfriend!" Diego shouted, landing another bone-shattering blow to Adam's stomach. "That's for my baby cousin!" He grabbed Adam by the throat and held him above the ground. "And THIS is for all the innocent humans you slaughtered."

Diego laid one final punch to the bull Faunus's jaw, sending him flying several yards before hitting the ground unconscious. Diego took several deep breaths to calm himself down, before fixing his eyes on the alternate version of the Faunus he had taken down, as well as the wolf who fought him...

* * *

Quick as a blink, Adam drew Wilt and blocked Luna's attack. Their weapons locked between them, student and mentor glared menacingly at one another, similar snarls on their lips. With a powerful shove, Adam broke the lock and swung the chukotu at Luna's head. Moving her bo-staff in a figure-8 motion, she simultaneously blocked the attack with one end and uppercutted his jaw with the other. She kept that motion going quickly in order to land as many blows as she could while on the offense. Some struck true while others were blocked by either his arm, sword, or scabbard.

Ducking under her next horizontal strike, Adam rolled and attempted an attack from behind. Just as swiftly, Luna kept Silver Moon spinning and moved it behind her to block her mentor's attack. Following through with returning Silver Moon to her front, she threw in a right hook kick to the bull's temple. However, she failed to see Adam sheathe Wilt and as he rolled with the attack, he fired the sword from Blush, the hilt slamming painfully into her solar plexus. She coughed as the wind was suddenly knocked out of her. The silver she-wolf barely managed to recover in time to parry Adam's charge.

The two Faunus kept at that for several moments; each gaining the upper hand over the other at one point or another, or finding themselves stuck in a stalemate by blocking simultaneously executed attacks. While Luna had Aura levels over Adam, he held more experience in combat. Pretty soon, one of them would gain the upper hand and turn the tide of this fight.

Finding themselves once more locked by their weapons, Adam spoke, "You can't hope to possibly best me, Luna. You forget who taught you everything you know."

The she-wolf snarled, sparks flying from where Wilt scraped against the shaft of Silver Moon. "You didn't teach me everything," she corrected, venom in her tone. "And I'll die before I let you hurt one more soul, so bet your ass I'm gonna best you!"

"Be careful what you wish for, Greyback," was all Luna heard before her vision went dark and pain erupted in her head; Adam had gotten close enough and brutally slammed his horns into her face. Taking advantage of her temporary blindness, the bull forcefully kicked the wolf onto her back, Silver Moon skidding off to the side beyond her reach. Blinking the spots out of her vision, Luna threw her body back into a backflip to avoid Wilt lunging for her abdomen. Just before she completed the flip, the wolf violently swung her tail and got the bull across his face. She grinned smugly, remembering doing the same move to him so many years ago.

She saw her staff in her perepherial vision a distance away, but knew that by the time she had retrieved her weapon, her former mentor would be over his momentary stun. So deciding to make a risky move, she charged at the bull and tackled him while he shook off his stupor. The force was just enough for Adam to lose his grip on his own weapon, which she quickly kicked several feet away. Now it was a match of fists.

Luna just noticed Diego in her peripheral vision aiming his revolvers in the direction of Adam. She felt herself growl for a moment, but thankfully Adam wasn't the rogue's target. Faster than the human eye could register, Diego fired off multiple shots at something just behind Adam, which so happened to be a Nevermore Grimm, killing it rather quickly. He then gave Luna a look that she understood well. " _Finish the kill. He's all yours."_

However, those few seconds of her glancing away was all Adam needed as his fist made contact with her jaw. Rolling with the punch, she put some distance between her and her former mentor. She knew Adam wasn't as powerful if he didn't have Wilt and Blush on him, so she had to keep him from retrieving his weapon as much as possible.

When he made a dash for the sword, she drew Solstice and fired a shot. The bullet struck the side of the bull's head and knocked him off balance, his mask simultaneously flying off his face in pieces. She charged again, yet felt her insides freeze up when she gazed upon those dark gray eyes for a split second. Eyes she had not seen for 6 years, always hidden by the face of a Grimm.

The two Faunus continued their merciless assault on one another for several minutes. Punches and kicks exchanged, a head butt or two, and devestating swipes from a muscular tail. If anyone didn't know any better, judging by the sounds they were making, anyone would have thought this to be a terrifying battle between two wild animals fighting for territory. However, their Auras could only take so much damage, and one of them had just depleted.

After sending Adam feet away with a roundhouse kick, Luna once more drew Solstice and took aim. The red bull made no further move, but continued to stare the silver she-wolf down. He knew the power behind that pistol, and he knew he was now vulnerable to her attacks like a normal citizen. He had to play this one carefully, or else this would mean the end. But then again, could she even pull the trigger?

With that thought in mind, Adam grew smug once more. Glaring into her icy gaze, he simply said, "Do it." She reacted the way he knew she would; her hand began to shake, and her eyes danced with internal conflict. He continued to egg her. "Go on. Shoot me. Finish me off. Make sure I never harm another soul again," He mocked her, a smirk making its way onto his face. Taking a chance, he took slow steps forward. The wolf's hand trembled even harder, the fear becoming more evident in her eyes. Adam chuckled, "You had no problems with it in the past. What's stopping you now?" He meant it as a way to mock her further, but part of him was genuinely curious about why she was holding back.

Stopping roughly ten feet from her, he started to circle her as he continued speaking. "You were one of the greatest warriors I had ever trained, Greyback. You could have helped us bring the Faunus to the top, where they belong. But your sympathy for the humans makes you weak," He spat out. "By siding with them, you have betrayed your entire race." Luna's eyes stayed locked on his form as he circled her like a predator about to pounce. She kept Solstice raised, but her body was so numb with fear, she could hardly move any other way.

"Do you think a stunt like the other day will change anything?" He questioned spitefully. "Do you think taking down Grimm and working with Huntsmen will make you some kind of hero? Your friends and those of this Kingdom may think so, but you know who you are. You're part of the White Fang."

'No...' Luna's thoughts repeated over and over in denial.

"You're one of us."

'No...'

"You're more like me than you care to admit."

'No...'

"You're a killer."

'NO!' Her mind went blank after that outburst, unsure if it was in her head, aloud, or both. Finally hitting her breaking point, the blue of the Luna's eyes disappeared in a nanosecond, only to be replaced by the fiery gold of an angry wolf. And like the vicious predator that is her heritage, she dropped her pistol and lunged at the bull. Blinded by raw emotion, Luna had her mentor pinned to the ground, and her arms swiping wildly at his face and throat. Terrifying snarls and growls erupted from her throat, looking and sounding every bit like a wolf tearing it's prey apart.

After what felt like a lifetime, Luna awoke from her blackout. Or more, she blinked rapidly as her mind regained focus. The first thing she noticed was her racing heartbeat and breathing. The second thing she noticed...was the blood.

It was everywhere. On her hands and arms. On her clothes. She could taste it in her mouth, and smell it's thic,k coppery scent in the air. And it surrounded the body she still had pinned to the ground. It was then she pieced together exactly what she had done.

'I killed him...' She once more stared in horror at her owm hands as if they were the most dangerous weapons in existence. They shook uncontrollably, as did the rest of her body as she slowly went into shock.

'I killed him...' The words played through her mind over and over again as if her brain was incapable of processing such a thing. Luna didn't dare look at the corpse, already knowing she would no longer recognize the bloody torn mess it now was. But looking away may have been her bigger mistake.

Her friends...her team...they all looked at her with horror. Many of them looked ready to be sick, and Jaune and a few others already were.

'Now they know...' The darker part of her mind whispered to her. 'You're a monster...'

'Feral.'

'An animal.'

'A killer.'

Feeling tears already running down her face, Luna turned away in shame and tried to run. She tripped over her mentor's corpse and stumbled as she tried to escape their gazes while regaining her footing. Diego was the only one who seemed unfazed by what had happened, but for him it was understandable. He rushed over to her and helped her to her feet.

"I'm not going to judge your decision," he said to her, "except maybe that you could've been more merciful and ended it quickly. Adam deserved death maybe, but sometimes death isn't the answer." He looked at Adam's mangled corpse. "Humans call your kind monsters, and this would probably be proof of it in their eyes. I say, you acted out of a sense of avenging those that had suffered at his hands. Maybe not in the best fashion, but you did it." Diego looked Luna in the eyes. "If you run, I won't stop you. But don't be gone long... Even after today... this world needs you."

His eyes glowed slightly, but not the sickly color they usually did. This time, it was a different glow. Still evil, but it reminded her of... someone else's gaze.

'This world needs you,' His voiced echoed inside of her head. But her own thoughts continued to plague her mind. 'Animal...monster...killer...'

Feeling his eyes gazing into what felt like her very soul, it became too much for Luna. With a shameful sob, she pushed the Rogue away from you, not wanting him to be near her. Not with all of the blood...not with the corpse of her former mentor and his former brother not two feet away...

After putting space between them, the silver she-wolf took off. She noticed she didn't have Silver Moon or Solstice on her, but in that moment she didn't care. All she cared about was getting as far away from her friends before someone else got hurt...or killed. Diego watched her go and sighed.

"Just like myself once," he said aloud, so even his friends heard. "It pains me to see anyone in that situation. Mostly because I was once in the same boat. And it almost cost me everything."

Behind him, despite still being very shook up by what she had just seen, Ruby called out, "Luna, wait!" She tried to chase down the traumatized wolf, but was stopped by Diego.

"Let her go, Ruby," he said gently but firmly, "There's nothing we can do for her yet. For now, she needs to be alone."

"Bu-but she could be hurting very badly!" The little reaper insisted worriedly. "She may need us now more than ever! I mean she just...she ju..." The poor girl couldn't even finished her sentence, but Diego knew what she meant.

Diego sighed. "Then I'll talk to her when I can. Or maybe even TD, if he's around."

"Wait," Weiss stopped him, "What do you mean, 'just like me'? You did-"

She couldn't finish.

"Once," Diego admitted, "But it was long before Salem and even Remnant to be honest."

"What?" Blake asked, "Diego, you're not that old-"

The rogue turned to her and showed that he was dead serious in what he had said.

"That's one secret none of you have learned yet. Except for one," he stated, looking to Yang at the last words.

Blake momentarily glanced at the body of Adam's alternate-self, before looking away again as feelings of both relief and anguish filled her. Then, she gazed into the distance, Luna's retreating figure just barely visible now on the horizon.

"And it looks like there's another secret none of us have learned yet..." She commented quietly, still not sure what to make of the silver she-wolf suddenly going feral.

Diego sighed once more. "I can explain later if you'd wish, but for now... I think she'll want these back."

He walked over to where Luna had dropped her weapons and retrieved both of them. He then stood up and without turning back to any of them he stated, "If there's any questions you'd like to ask, ask them now."

Everyone was hesitant, but Ren spoke up.

"I believe it's best to just address the obvious," he calmly stated.

Weiss asked the question on everyone's mind, "What happened with you so long ago?"

'And what else do we not know about Luna?' Ruby thought silently to herself. Seeing her new friend turn into a bloodthirsty savage was terrifying, yet the young girl's heart still worried for her friend. She had looked so scared and ashamed...

Diego sighed, knowing only his teammates would understand to some extent. He turned to them and looked to them with a sad expression.

"Remember when TD brought our world and several others together? And remember how Red the Hedgehog and Bill Prower said that they were both separate personalities of TD's that had gone rogue?" His friends nodded, while Luna's companions simply looked confused. "Well, they told you about the rumor that the original 'evil' personality had gone rogue too. Turns out, they were right."

Team RWBY, excluding Yang, exchanged surprised looks along with Team JNPR. Blake tried to get the words out as she asked, "And...you're...?"

Diego nodded sadly. "As complicated as it sounds... TD's rogue evil personality, and the hybrid known as Diego Kapila are the same."

Ruby furrowed her brows and shook her head in confusion.

"But you aren't evil!" She stated flabbergasted. Then when her curiosity got the better of her, she hesitantly asked, "A-are you?"

"That depends on how you look at it," Diego replied, "I have a dark side to me, which you've all seen in the guise of a human-like Grimm. But I'm not going to backstab you guys, if that's what you're asking." He looked down at his hands. "There's a reason why we went rogue on TD. Bill and Red wanted to escape a future danger that was about to plague TD, but I simply wanted to save him from the fate I had placed him under originally." He sighed and looked to the mangled Adam corpse. "Before I separated from TD, he didn't have the same moral standards he has now. That was mostly thanks to me. I... crossed lines that should never have been crossed. Slaughtering innocents, brutally murdering people, and even going feral like Luna did. But after Bill and Red separated, even I became horrified of what I had done. So, I too separated. I left a clone of myself to keep TD's personalities stabilized, but I also gave even my dark clone something I lacked myself before: morals, which TD follows even as the bad guy." He looked to his friends. "I don't know myself if I'm evil or not anymore, for when we separated from TD, we became capable of changing some aspects about ourselves; we could change allegiances, obligations, even our way of thinking. I don't know what the answer is to your question, but if I'm still evil... it's the closest I've been to being good without actually being good."

"Well you are just a real bucket of sunshine and rainbows, ain't ya?" The teams turned to find BLNC returning from their end of the battle. It was Jackson that had made the comment, unsurprisingly. "But that's not important. Whats important is that we took down these bitches!" He exclaimed with a victorious grin and fist pump.

Violet chuckled at her teammates ridiculous outburst, and simultaneously wanting to scold him for tossing aside what clearly must have been a serious topic. When she saw what remained of the White Fang leader behind the two teams, she gasped, her ears straightening to the sky. "Oh my gods, what did that?" She asked increduously, looking away from the scene.

Jackson and Blitz each took notice, too. Blitz hung and shook his head solemnly, also looking away from the bull's corpse. Jackson scoffed, "Ha, good riddance! Looks like the damn bastard got what he deserved." Unfazed, he walked closer to the corpse and examined the damage done to the body. "Holy shit, what did happen? Guy looks like a fucking Beowolf got a hold of his sorry ass!" Yang once more covered Ruby's ears to block out the boy's foul mouth.

His fascination slowly turned to concern the longer everyone stayed quiet. Looking up, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the hesitant looks on everyone's faces. "What?" He asked impatiently. "What's with the looks?"

"Wait," Violet interrupted, realization dawning on her face. "Where is Luna?" The rest of BLNC gazed around only to see their teammate nowhere in sight. RWBY, JNPR and Diego flinched in varied degrees at the name. Blitz noticed this, and his mind began to piece things together.

'Luna is gone. Adam is dead. They're all acting stran-...' His eyes widened with disbelief. "No way, you're not saying that...?" His eyes went back and forth between the corpse and the silent group, whose faces began to express defeat.

Jackson's ears perked up and he began shaking his head. "There is no way! She's brutal, but she's not..." He started to deny, but stopped speaking the more he thought about it. It was unfathomable! His partner...did this?

Violet's long ears began to droop. "It's not true...tell me it's not true!" She begged the teams, refusing to accept what may have just occurred on this battlefield.

Diego sighed. "I'm not sure what happened, but I'm going after her. Feel free to follow at your own leisure." He gave them all a last sad look. "I'm sorry about Luna. And everything else that's happened so far. It's- it's all my fault technically speaking. I promise I'll explain later, but for now..."

He looked back in Luna's direction and into the sky, and his eyes glowed their sickly red color. To everyone's surprise excluding Yang, a large Nevermore dropped from the sky in front of him. But instead of attacking, the Nevermore simply stood at attention, as if waiting for a command...

* * *

 **Chey: ...I know I wrote you, but damn! 0_0 I wasn't expecting that! It's like your evolving outside of my mind or something 0_0**

 **Luna: You know how weird that sounds, right? But hey, I gotta give it to ya, your fight scene writing is getting a bit better.**

 **A bit? It's awesome! Way more descriptive than my own.**

 **"Impressive. For a wolf!"**

 **Oh, everyone! OC for this note, say hello to Red the Hedgehog!**

 **"What up, Chey and Wolf?"**

 **Luna: What's that supposed to mean?! You think you can do better or something?! Bring it on, Pin Cushion!**

 **Chey: Whoa whoa whoa, hey! He didn't mean anything by it! Calm down. Go get a cup of coffee or something, you cranky canine.**

 **"Actually, it's more like the last wolf I met was terrible at his job. Seriously, he couldn't go for more than five minutes without doing a howl. Easy to take down."**

 **Says the super weapon created in a lab specifically to fight others.**

 **Chey: Okay, I think I'll close this before someone else gets torn to shreds.**

 **Luna: I can hear you, y'know?!**

 **Chey: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :D Introduction to BLNC, and the confrontation with the White Fang :) and of course, Luna's little episode, along with some surprising revelations. Where is she now? Will Diego find her? What history are we not aware of yet? Find out in the next chapter! :D**

 **Luna: You sound like the narrator for just about every anime and cartoon.**

 **"Considering that it's a classic, I'm not surprised."**

 **Adios! Feel free to review or favorite! Later!**


	7. Diego Sets Things Right

**Hello everyone! Sorry it took so long to get back to this. Chey and Luna were a bit busy and unable to get back to me on this story. But we finally managed to get things working again!**

 **I hope the wait was worth it! Please enjoy!**

* * *

Luna wasn't sure how long she had been running, or how far she had gone, but she didn't stop until her feet finally collapsed under her from exhaustion. The emotionally distraught wolf Faunus took a moment to actually look around at her surroundings. She was surrounded by thick forest, and judging by the sun's position in the sky, which was close to setting, she had took off to the southern end of Anima. Seeing as dusk was breaking, she must be pretty far from Mistral if she had run for so long. Yet she found she didn't care.

 _The farther I'm away from them all, the better off they'll be..._ She repeated to herself once more. A _t the very least, it's a good thing I'm far away from any bandit territories._ With her Aura low, her weapons abandoned, and her emotions running wild, Luna knew she wouldn't fair well against bandits. And Grimm would be worse.

With that in mind, Luna managed to painfully get to her feet and scurry up a nearby tree. It was getting dark and she was exhausted both mentally and physically. Hoping this would be a somewhat safe place, the she-wolf curled in on herself and resumed her crying. She couldn't forget the looks she had gotten from all of her friends...the disbelief, the fear...they had seen the very side of her she thought she had long destroyed.

 _I'll never be able to destroy it though, will I? This is what I am...a monster...a killer..._

The phrase echoed through her mind like a mosquito buzzing in her ear; never going away, no matter how much she tried to block it. It was torture...

"Torture is much worst than what you're feeling," a familiar voice spoke, sending chills down Luna's spine. Spinning around, she saw the last being she wanted to see standing before her with an amused evil grin. Salem continued.

"I would thank you for killing Adam off for me," she said, "Except that his usefulness hadn't expired yet."

Judging from what she had said, Luna was able to assume correctly that this Salem wasn't the one that Diego was familiar with, but rather her own Salem. Even with this in mind, Luna couldn't find it in herself to feel afraid. She was just so tired.

She looked away from the Grimm Queen. "What do you want?" She asked hoarsely, her tail wrapping around her legs. "If you're here to kill me, just get it over with."

She laid her head sideways on her knees and closed her eyes, in preparation for her end if that's what Salem was there for.

"Get up," Salem said impatiently, "I'm not here to kill you... unless you give me a reason to. I've come to make a deal. One that I'm hoping you won't refuse."

"Well then sorry, but you're wasting your time. You're the last person I'd ever make a deal with," Luna retorted tiredly, without her usual spunk.

"Maybe you should reconsider," Salem stated, "A small price to pay for keeping your friends safe... forever."

"Not such thing as forever," Luna scoffed, unmoved. "And even then, you expect me to trust you of all people to keep your end of a bargin? Hm, that's rich..."

Salem inwardly scowled. This was proving to be harder than she thought. Luna was probably the most stubborn person she'd ever seen.

"If you help us, I can promise you that I will leave you and your friends alone," she said, "You will be spared from the storm, as well as any other city and its occupants. Otherwise, I will kill them all myself in the blink of an eye. And no one will be able to save them from what will come next."

It was a tempting deal, but even in her distraught state, Luna wasn't stupid. Her friends had told her enough to figure out how Salem works; once her pawns have served their purpose, she ties up those lose ends permanently.

 _But then again, can I really take that chance? Not just my friends, but the world..._ Luna breathed deeply as she thought over her options carefully. Either way, she loses. But which is the lesser of the two evils? The internal conflict was undoubtedly evident on her face.

With a sigh, she returned her gaze to the Queen. "Say I do agree...I'll ask you one more time: How can I trust you of all people to keep your end of a bargin?" She questioned, her face serious but her blue eyes dull.

Salem smiled.

"Fair enough," she said, "We'll do a little deal. If either of us go back on their side of the deal, then anything goes. To show how serious I am about this deal... I will not ask any more of you than the task I give to you, and your friends from this world and the next will not suffer any attacks for the duration of the deal. If even one Grimm shows up out of its normal bounds, then the deal's off."

The silver she-wolf grit her teeth, knowing she was about to betray everyone she ever cared about. But really, did she have a choice anymore?

"Deal," She swallowed the lump in her throat. "What do you need me to do?"

Salem lifted her hand and a small portal appeared nearby.

"You will be traveling to Beacon- your Beacon," she answered. "The festival is in full swing right now, so the levels of attention should be at a minimum despite Ironwood's security measures. You are to find and secure the Fall Maiden under Beacon, then wait on Cinder to arrive. She'll give you the rest. Oh, and I suppose you'll want these back..."

Salem's hands glowed, and then Solstice and Silver Moon appeared in her hands. The gun and staff floated towards Luna before dropping into her hands. Checking her weapons over, she found Solstice now had a full magazine, and Silver Moon had fresh ice Dust. Gripping them tightly, she returned her weapons to their respected holsters, feeling slightly calmer at having them back.

She met Salem's eyes and glared back at her. "Where do I find the Maiden?"

* * *

High in the sky above, Diego commanded the Nevermore he controlled, looking for the wolf Faunus that had run away only moments ago. His eyes shone a dark sickly red color as he summoned all his willpower into subjugating the Grimm he was riding. His friends, upon seeing him control such a beast, had freaked out when they saw the Grimm obeying his every command. Only Yang had remained calm, having seen him use such powers before. Diego had told them to standby and keep their Scrolls active in case he needed them to respond quickly. He had made sure to secure Luna's weaponry to himself before flying off in search of her, for he knew his friend would need them in the off-chance that she would be attacked.

As he flew along, he eventually decided to land his Nevermore and search the ground for any signs of his friend. His search proved successful when he discovered a swath of clothing on a branch. Feeling that he would no longer need the Nevermore's assistance, he commanded it to stand still, then killed it with a single punch between its eyes. He then headed off in the direction Luna had been going. But as he walked, he felt a surge of energy envelope him for a brief moment before disappearing just as suddenly as it had appeared. At first he was worried that the energy had caused some harm to him, but then he realized what had happened when he no longer felt the wolf's weapons secured to himself.

"Salem- her Salem stole her weapons back," he said aloud, "But why? Did she meet Luna herself?"

"Actually, yes. She did," a familiar voice answered from nearby. Gritting his teeth, Diego turned to find himself face-to-face with TD, who was casually floating a few feet above the ground in a lying-down position. But for once, the entity was not wearing a cocky smile like he usually did. Instead, he seemed a bit sad or disappointed.

"Sorry you missed her, Diego," TD said to the rogue, and he sounded like he meant it.

"Where is she?" Diego asked. Normally, he would not wish to speak with TD in such a situation, but he needed to know where Luna was located. And for all he knew, TD was the best credible source of information he could rely on for the time being.

"She's in Remnant," TD replied, "But not this Remnant."

Diego looked up in surprise. "Then she's..."

"Returned home?" TD finished. "Yes. But not in the way that would probably be best for her."

"Speak plainly then, TD," Diego demanded. "I don't have time for your riddles."

"Fine," the entity said, then explained what Luna had done regarding Salem and what her mission was. Diego listened with intent, but inside he was saddened by the choice his friend had made.

 _We trusted her, and she betrayed us,_ his thoughts convicted.

 _No. She's just misguided,_ he argued. _She wasn't thinking clearly, and Salem knew that. She's been played, like everyone else that makes a deal with her._

Diego sighed, then looked to the entity with an air of authority.

"Take us there," he ordered.

"Why don't you do it yourself?" TD asked. "After all, you are me. And I am you."

"Oh, shut up and do it," Diego snapped, feeling a snake hiss building in his throat. TD sighed.

"Fine. I was hoping that you would try it for once, but I guess that'll have to wait," he reasoned with himself. He then looked to Diego seriously. "You already know where to go, so I'll do you one more favor. Once you get there, I'll try to buy you some time to intercept Salem's collector."

"But saving Amber won't mean anything if she's still in as bad a state as she is," Diego pointed out. TD simply gave a devious smile.

"Then return to her what was stolen," he said mysteriously, "And set right what you couldn't set right in this Remnant."

Without waiting for further conversation, TD snapped his fingers and in a flash of light, Diego found himself in Vale. No, more specifically, outside Beacon academy. But this Beacon wasn't in shambles, overrun by Grimm and brought to its knees. No, this was a different Beacon, and the catastrophe had yet to occur.

"I almost forgot what this looked like before its destruction back home," he muttered to himself, taking in the sights. Even if it wasn't the academy he was familiar with, it still brought back memories of the past to mind. Most of them were rather pleasant memories, but a few were a bit darker. But he welcomed each and every one of them as tears formed in his eyes.

 _I could've prevented this from getting destroyed back in my Remnant,_ he thought to himself. _Can I fix that for this one?_

A metal hand gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, and he turned to see that Yang had apparently been sent to the new Remnant too.

"Makes ya feel uneasy and nostalgic at the same time, doesn't it?" Yang asked, her own eyes taking in their surroundings, almost not recognizing what she was witnessing. Diego managed a small smile.

"You have no idea Goldilocks," he replied, turning slightly towards her. "This is the place where I first got to know the lot of you, and yet also the first place where my mistakes from the past came to haunt me. I'd say it was a cruel irony, but I'm not entirely sure if I want to put it in that category."

"Well if this all works out, things here will be different," She pointed out. "Salem doesn't have the White Fang as part of her forces anymore, so that's one good thing. Our alternative selves might not suffer like we did..."

"Speaking of which," Diego noted, looking around, "Where are they? They should be here at Beacon if I'm not mistaken. The finals haven't started yet, which means you guys would be taking a break inside between rounds."

Yang shook her head in frustration. "I can't remember," She admitted with a clenched fist. "All I remember is the Battle itself, I can hardly recall anything before that. I mean, aside from the fight with Mercury, and he and Emerald framing me."

Diego placed his own hand upon her shoulder now.

"That's not happening to your counterpart," he told her, "Not this time."

"Uh, guys?" Ruby's voice called to them from a distance. "We have a slight problem."

"I'd say more than a slight problem," Weiss corrected.

"Maybe... over-the-top-confusing kind of problem?" another voice suggested. It sounded exactly like Weiss, and yet... Diego looked to Yang with a slight grin.

"And right when I thought this wouldn't be a problem," he chuckled. He and Yang rushed over to where the rest of their friends were standing, staring at a slightly younger, alternate version of Team RWBY.

Alternate Ruby rubbed at her eyes before blinking rapidly. "Um, you guys see more of us, too, right?" She asked uncertainly. "Or am I hallucinating from the noodles?"

"Nope, this is quite real," Diego's Ruby said. "And trust me, I'm just about as surprised. I'm just taking it better because we've seen some pretty weird stuff lately."

"Understatement of the century," Yang commented while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, how is this happening? What is going on?" Alternate-Blake questioned incredulously, looking back and forth between her team and the doppelgangers. She looked especially worried at seeing her other self with her cat ears exposed.

"Lemme explain," Diego started, then changed his mind. "No, there's probably not enough time. Let me sum up: some evil goons are coming here to try and kidnap someone hidden inside of Beacon. The most I can tell you about them right now is that they're the ones who invaded during the dance and the ones Torchwick was working for."

"Wait, you know who the woman in black was?" Ruby asked, surprised.

Diego sighed. "Back in our Remnant... she was my apprentice once. Her name is Cinder. You're probably familiar with her accomplices, Emerald and Mercury."

Ruby's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury?"

"The students from Haven? Are you sure?" Weiss asked.

"No Wiess," Diego's version of the ice queen ("Hey!") remarked sarcastically, "The other Cinder, Emerald and Mercury. Of course we'd be talking about those ones!"

"Yikes, take a chill pill Weiss," Diego commented, "We're trying to help you understand the severity of the problem."

"Yeah, when you say it like that Diego, it sounds really confusing," his Ruby stated.

"And this already isn't?" Blake said with a raised brow, her ears flicking atop her head. After a few moments of awkward silence, Nora suddenly turned to Ren.

"Did you put something in the pancakes this morning?" She asked suspiciously, to which said ninja sighed.

"No, Nora," He replied calmly.

"Trust me, if he did, I guarantee this would be a lot more awkward," Diego answered. "And I guarantee that I wouldn't be in your delusional... hangover."

"I guess that's one way to put it," his Weiss sighed, not really knowing how else to phrase his sentence.

"So then, just how severe of a problem are we talking about here?" Ruby asked with a curious head tilt.

"How about, 'possible end of the world' severe," Diego replied. He then looked to something behind them and his fists clenched. "Speak of the devil, and she will appear..."

Turning to whatever he was looking at, the gang all were surprised to see Cinder herself walking towards the school, with Emerald and Mercury in tow.

"What do we do?" Ruby asked Diego in a panicked whisper as Cinder and her lackies closed in.

Diego activated his gauntlets and started advancing towards them before he answered.

"What I should've done back in my Remnant," he stated. The team from his Remnant did nothing to stop him, although a few of them were looking a bit apprehensive, as if they were unsure what he was going to do and that it somewhat scared them.

"Wait, we ca-" Ruby was halted by her own counterpart from Diego's Remnant.

"No. Just...let him do what he has to do," she ordered softly, though she herself was itching to grab Crescent Rose and charge the woman that killed two of her friends. Diego waited until he was within shouting distance before he called them.

"CINDER!" he yelled, almost making Emerald and Mercury jump from the sound of his voice. They all turned to him and noticed the fire in his eyes, a grim look of determination on his face.

"This is it," Diego continued. "You've lost much of your Queen's power, and now you seek out another." He clenched his fists together and his eyes glowed red for a brief second. "Well, I'm not letting you take the Fall Maiden. Not like your counterpart."

"Oh you're not letting me?" Cinder mocked with a despicably alluring smile. The flames around her eyes became visible as she called upon the magic of Fall. "Come on then. Try and stop me!"

She hurled a wave of flames at Diego, but he simply sidestepped easily to the side as the flames barreled past him, his expression never changing. Whether out of bravery or recklessness, Mercury chose to charge at him with a flying kick. However, Diego grabbed his leg, then busted it with a single punch, quickly repeating that process to the other leg and rendering him immobilized. While Mercury was still recovering from his shock, Diego kicked him hard in the face, rendering him unconscious. He then looked to Cinder again.

"Sloppy. Very sloppy," he stated.

Many students and civilians were already running and screaming at the triumphant display of power. Emerald had hidden in one of the nearby tents and focused her power on Diego. When Cinder charged and engaged in sword-to-gauntlet combat with the Rogue, she waited until the moment came. Seeing a chance, she pictured three massive Ursas along with a Beowolf pack charging onto the fairgrounds in her mind before projecting the vision onto Diego. Through his eyes, he saw said Grimm charging towards him and Cinder. But right when they got within striking distance, Diego stopped and squinted hard at the Grimm, then returned his gaze to Cinder, completely ignoring the Grimm. Even when they swiped and snapped at him harmlessly, but still looking rather realistic. Diego had no swords to fight Cinder with, but he was still THE master of combat in this fight. Almost anti-climatic like, he made two swift strikes with his arms, gauntlets first, and parried Cinder's first sword swipes, then with equal speed, he knocked the weapons out of her hands. The Grimm illusion still remained, but it was clear that he had seen right through it, as he made no move to attack them. He did, however, close his eyes for a moment as he activated his Semblance and smirked. Her anger growing, Cinder activated her power to end this fight now. Two new swords appeared in her hands, and she sent a rain of glass shards flying towards the Rogue. Surprisingly, the shards connected... only to have his image fade away like a shadow.

"Cinder! Look out!" Emerald's voice called. But it was too late. A sharp pain suddenly flared in Cinder's spine, paralyzing her as she fell to her knees. Behind her, Diego was standing with a Grimm bow similar to the one she used, a shot already having been fired. The black arrow-like projectile was sticking from her back and Diego was walking towards her, a glow in his eyes. They were the same sickly red color that appeared with his Grimm form, as he tapped into some of the power that form provided him. Emerald, out of rage for her fallen companion, rushed at Diego with a blind fury. Diego simply made the bow disappear and then with a few well-aimed strikes, he knocked Emerald down.

"Hold her still!" Diego called to his friends, motioning to Cinder. He then looked to Emerald as the glow disappeared from his eyes. "You don't have to die with her. There's still time for you to do the right thing. You can help us fight Salem and her Grimm when they arrive. Or you can run; run far from here and don't look back." He held out his hand to her. "The choice is yours alone to make."

Consumed by grief and anger, Emerald drew her kama and charged at Diego, swinging and firing wildly in hope to save the one who'd saved her so long ago. The result was Diego fading like a shadow again, then appearing behind her as well, knocking her out with a single punch. He then turned his attention to Cinder, who was being held up by both versions of Yang. He walked over to them so he was facing Cinder, then looked the fiend in the eyes.

"Back in my Remnant, your counterpart stole half of the powers of the Fall Maiden," he said with anger. "She then returned here to Beacon and stole the remaining half. I could've prevented this from happening, but I didn't. Never again." He held her head up and forced her to look into his eyes as they turned into a sickly red color again. "You will never know what it feels like to possess the full power of the Maiden. I will be returning to her what you've stolen."

He stood up to his full height and everyone noticed something crawling up his arm to his palm; a kind of Grimm parasite. Cinder recognized it immediately and her eyes widened with fear.

"Let's give you a taste of your own medicine, shall we?" Diego asked sarcastically, then the parasite fired something from it's mouth that stuck Cinder's face with a kind of sticky substance that led from her face to Diego's hand. Cinder gasped and her form's outline glowed brightly as well as Diego's. She could feel the power she had taken from the Fall Maiden draining from her body and into Diego's own body. At the same time, she could feel her life weakening as if tied to the powers he was taking from her. Eventually, the last of the powers of Fall left Cinder and Diego stopped, killing the small Grimm with a single crushing motion from his hand. Cinder, on the other hand, had drifted into an unconscious state as both Yangs dropped her, one looking shocked at what had happened, but the other simply giving a grim expression. Diego stopped glowing and a sigh escaped him.

"It's done," he said softly.

"What...just happened?" The Jaune from this Remnant asked, still in shock.

"We just changed your whole future," His counterpart answered, casting a brief somber glance at his partner's still-living alternate self. "For the better."

"It's not over yet," Diego said aloud. "We still have to find Luna and I think I know where she is." He turned to his friends. "Stay on guard. Salem may have another trick up her sleeves. I'll get Luna."

He started to walk towards the doors of the school, but stopped when he heard Yang call to him. He turned to see his version giving him a concerned look.

"Be careful," she said. Diego gave a small smile.

"I will. I promise," he answered, then without another word he entered the school. Even though it wasn't the Beacon from back home, he knew the halls like the back of his hand, and soon found himself in Ozpin's office where the headmaster was just starting to rise with an apprehensive look on his face.

"Who are you, and how did you do that? More importantly, how do you know of the Maidens?" The headmaster asked firmly, his cane in hand.

"Relax, Oz. I'm on your side," Diego said bluntly. "But unfortunately, I don't have time to explain. So instead, I'll sum this up for you: I'm from another Remnant, and I'm here to stop Salem. Both mine and yours. And right now, I need access to your vault where Amber is being kept."

"How do I know I can trust your word?" Ozpin asked with suspicious, narrowed eyes.

Diego sighed. "I know that you and the other headmasters are protecting relics with the schools to keep them from Salem. I know that this fight has been kept secret from the public due to how they'd take it. I know that Amber was ambushed and her power stolen from her before Qrow saved her life. I know all this and more, Ozpin. But even that wouldn't suffice." Diego looked to Ozpin's eyes. "The truth is, you don't know if you can trust my word. What you do know is that I have some knowledge about your fight and that I helped to take down some of Salem's minions, who were hiding under your very noses. So maybe my actions should speak louder than words. But..." Diego gave him a grim expression. "...even if you don't help me access the vault, I'll open it regardless. But I don't want to be your enemy..."

The old headmaster pondered the boy's words carefully. Seeing as he had a point, Ozpin reached into his pocket and handed his scroll to the boy.

"Take the elevator. There is a code that only I have access to that will take you to the Vault under the school. Put it to the terminal, and say you wish to go 'to the bottom'," He instructed. "Go now."

"Thank you Oz," Diego answered. "I'd suggest you prepare for a fight. Because unless I'm mistaken, Salem's not gonna let her prize escape so easily."

Diego walked to the elevator and followed Oz's instructions. As it descended into the depths, he started to worry about what he would do when he saw Luna again.

"I hope TD managed to buy me enough time," he said to himself. "And I hope we don't end up becoming enemies."

* * *

The Vault was dark, save for the odd green torches burning above her head, and the glowing from the machine that housed the Fall Maiden. Luna was getting restless and terribly anxious the longer she was there. Halting her nervous pacing, she took slow steps towards the first pod. It broke her heart seeing the poor girl in there, just barely hanging onto her life. She looked no older than Luna herself...

A single teardrop fell onto the glass. "I'm so sorry," Luna whispered, sniffling. "I wish I could help in some way..." But she knew there was no way she, or anyone else, could. Death was inevitable for Amber, this she knew, but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

The quietness of the Vault was suddenly filled with the steady clicking of glass shoes approaching from the elevator. Luna clenched her fist tightly, her knuckles cracking.

"How do you live with yourself?...After everything you've done...all of this pain and suffering...and for what? Power?" She had raised her voice for Cinder to hear, though the echoing of the chamber proven it to be unneccesary. She scoffed shaking her head, keeping her eyes on Amber despite speaking to Cinder. "You do realize that once you've served your purpose, she'll just throw you away too, right?

"Well then, it's a good thing I don't ever serve the villains," a male's voice suddenly spoke. Startled, Luna spun around to see TD standing before her with a sad smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of glass shoes that looked suspiciously like Cinder's shoes, but built for a male. He looked to Luna again and gave her a serious expression.

"I never took you to be the backstabbing type, Wolfie," he said somewhat sadly. Luna glanced behind the entity briefly to ensure they were alone. The elevator was empty and closed, and she couldn't hear any movement of the cart. Good, Cinder wasn't here yet.

"Just doing what I do best, I suppose," She replied in a similar sad tone. Not being able to bear the disappointment in her friend's eyes, she turned her back once more to gaze at Amber's nearly lifeless form. "Why are you even here, T? I thought your time ran out, or something like that..."

"Well, even so, I'm a cheeky little bugger," he said. He then asked, "Why are you doing this Wolfie? You're better than this, and you know it."

"I'm doing what's best for everyone," She explained calmly. And while her words were true, she didn't dare reveal more for fear of someone possibly hearing in on their conversation.

"What's best for everyone?" TD asked, suddenly appearing in front of her. "Open your eyes! She's deceived you like she's done with everyone else! Where's the line, Luna? Where do you call it quits?"

Luna's face scrunched up in pain as her heart clenched. She had asked herself that very same question all of her life.

 _Where does it stop? Where do I draw the line?_ Sometimes she thought she never would...she valued her loved ones so much, she wouldn't be surprised if she literally did anything to keep them safe. And look at where she was now.

Before she could answer her equally distraught friend, Luna's ears picked up the low rumbling of the elevator rising back up the tower. Cinder must be on her way! Panicked, she turned back to TD.

"You need to go. Or at least hide," she strongly insisted, paranoiedly keeping her ears strained on the elevator's movement. TD smirked as his image started to shimmer and fade.

"I'll leave, but not to hide. After all, why hide from myself?" he asked, disappearing completely. Right when he did, a set of footsteps started to approach her. But it wasn't Cinder's footsteps that were heard, but someone else's... Footsteps that she was too familiar with by now.

"I'd thank TD for leading me here" Diego's voice suddenly spoke from behind, "But that would imply that he did me a favor."

In the reflection of Amber's pod, Luna could see Diego with a bow pulled back, one that was very familiar. It looked like the Grimm bow that Cinder sometimes used and an arrow of some kind was notched on the bowstring.

 _Not him, too..._ Luna swallowed with difficulty. While she was glad it wasn't Cinder, at this point she actually wished it had been.

"Why are you down here and not helping fight against the Grimm?" She questioned, trying to keep her emotions from making her voice quiver.

"The Grimm are all but destroyed by now in the local areas," Diego replied, still not taking his hands off the bowstring, "The same can't be said for Cinder." At Luna's slight stiffening, Diego added, "She'll live, but I doubt she'll be able to move for the next few days."

"You took her down?" She kept her voice the same, but she dared let a little hope sneak into her heart.

"I didn't kill her, but she may die from her wounds if she's not cared for in the next few hours," he answered. "But that doesn't explain why you're here."

She ignored his question, and continued speaking vaguely for fear of someone possibly listening in. "Do you remember the day I first came to your world, Diego? I told you then who I was." She turned around and met his hurt and angry blue eyes. "I stood beside Adam, but I fought for Sienna. Even now, nothing has changed. I'm still doing what I've been doing for the past year or so."

Diego sighed, his aim dropping slightly before returning again.

"Then you understand why I can't let you do this," he said, and fired the arrow. The arrow only breezed by her head but Luna still hopped to the side to avoid it. Instinctively, she drew Solstice and pointed it at the Rogue. Mixed feelings of anguish and nostalgia filled her stomach at the stand down.

"Put it down, Diego," She ordered calmly, her finger lingering on the trigger. "If I need to, you know I won't miss. And truthfully, I'm a bit surprised you did. That's not like you," She commented curiously, yet kept her pistol up. Diego gave a small smile and the bow disappeared almost like the Grimm did when they died.

"You should know by now Luna," he said matter-of-factly, "I never miss."

It was then that she remembered who was behind her that could've been hit...

Spinning around, Luna gasped in horror at what she saw. The arrow had pierced through the glass of the large pod and embedded itself in Amber's shoulder. She faced Diego again and cocked her pistol, her face twisting into a snarl.

"What were you thinking? You could have killed her!"

"I'm doing her a favor," he replied, then his form glowed with a familiar light. The light given off by the Fall Maiden's powers. He lifted his hands and then spoke.

"Amber," he said, "Your enemies stole something from you that left you in your current state. I have come to give it back."

His form glowed more intensely and the pod behind Luna started giving off a warning.

"Occupant status: Stabilizing. Vitals signs: Normal. Occupant health: Restored."

Luna kept looking back and forth between Diego and Amber, her brain unsure of how to process what she had just seen.

"You saved her?" She asked disbelieving. "Bu-but that's impossible...the powers, they...they only attach to young women...and you...?"

Diego smirked. "My Semblance allows me to copy the power of a Maiden and use them myself. Apparently, this means that I can take the powers on as well. But even so, I wasn't planning on using them, only to return them." He gave another smirk. "Besides, I've been known to do the impossible."

His words caught her off guard. Diego would never say something like that. But looking into his eyes...Luna thought she was starting to possibly understand. Why those eyes were so...familiar. And the entity's earlier words about...hiding from himself. But it couldn't be. Could it?

"How are you and him connected?" The silver wolf asked cautiously, her grip tightening a bit on her gun.

Diego sighed. "In a technical sense... I am him."

Her thoughts screamed impossibility, but she knew he was serious. A small smile crossed her lips and she chuckled while shaking her head.

"There is no end to defying odds with you two, is there?"

"Us four, actually," Diego corrected. "There's two others beside me who share the same rule."

"Of course there are," She mumbled to herself.

Diego chuckled, then his saddened expression returned. "Is this really what you want? In what little time we've known each other, Greyback, I know that you're not like this. At least... not when your mind is in the right place."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Like you just said, you know me. Did you honestly believe I would go through with this?" She asked offensively. "Do you think I'm so stupid to take Salem for her word?"

"I never said that," he replied, "And I don't take you as the type who would take her word. I'm more concerned as to why you're here period if that's the case."

Behind Luna, she could hear Amber breathing at a slow yet stable rate, indicating that she'd live through the arrow to the shoulder.

"After I ran off, the Salem from this world found me. She offered me a deal. Help her secure the Fall Maiden here in exchange for my friends' and world's safety. My job was to wait here for Cinder, who would take care of the rest. My plan was to take her down before anything could be done," she explained. Diego stared at her hard, then managed a small smile.

"There's no lie in your eyes," he said, "A foolish deal, but at least you're honest." He looked behind him. "Judging from what I did to Cinder, I seriously doubt she's coming around any time soon." His head turned back to her. "So, what now?"

Luna shook her head. "I don't know. The Attack here was foiled, Adam is dead, Cinder is borderline dead. I think my world is safe for now." She replied uncertainly.

"Is it?" Diego pointed out, "Salem is still out there, both in my world and yours. And if there's anything TD and I can agree with, it's this: where there's light, there will always be darkness." He deactivated his equipment as he continued. "But the only true reason evil can prevail is if good people, like you and me, do nothing. Even the least of us can make a huge difference."

Brushing her sweat-coated bangs out of her face, Luna asked, "What do you suggest we do, then? I mean, the only idea that I have at the moment is we find a way to get my team back to this world, and we help the RWBY and JNPR here."

Diego smiled. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem. After all, I think we may have ran into them on our way here."

Suddenly, his Scroll started ringing and he answered it. After only a few seconds, he put it on speaker so Luna could hear the rest.

"... a massive army of Grimm!" Yang's voice shouted on the Scroll. "The White Fang is here too, or at least the bad ones! And what's worst... Salem- Luna's Salem- is leading the charge!" An explosion was heard, along with a scream, then Yang finished her call. "Hurry Diego. I don't think we can hold them for long."

The Scroll ended its call and Diego looked up with a pale expression. Luna shared his terrified expression.

"We need to go," She told him urgently as they both sprinted for the elevator.

"Wait..." he stopped her for a moment, then pulled out something from one of his coat pockets and threw it to the ground. It turned out to be several objects, and they all suddenly enlarged into some more drones that they had used to scout for trouble. The animal-like robots looked to Diego as he gave them their task.

"New mission," he ordered them. "Protect the Fall Maiden at all costs. She needs time to recover."

The robots all turned to Amber, then back to him and somehow gave the rogue a salute before standing at different posts. Diego then looked to Luna.

"Now we can go..."

* * *

Luna gazed around them with horror, one hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"Brothers above..." She muttered under her breath in shock. Grimm. Nothing but Grimm as far as she could see. And sure enough, leading them was the Queen herself.

"She just couldn't have picked a far worst timing," Diego stated, looking more frustrated now than scared. It almost made him seem like he was a janitor or a maid who was not looking forward to the cleanup duty that was about to commence.

"Is there ever a good time for her to be here? Or anywhere for that matter?" She asked rhetorically with an eye roll.

"Maybe if you were ever in my shoes," he stated, "I've known a couple good times for Salem to be around, but this is not one of them!"

"Whatever you say," She dismissed, keeping her eyes on the hordes of Grimm in from of them. Taking precaution, she drew Silver Moon and activated it's naginata mode. She cocked Solstice so it would be immediately ready to fire if necessary.

"Before we do this," Diego spoke up, turning towards her, "I'd just like to say something to you real quick."

"Yeah?" she asked. Diego sighed, then continued.

"Back with Adam... I personally don't hold it against you for what you did to him. Because before I became Diego Kapila, I did things that were just as bad, if not worst. So if anything... I understand. Sometimes, we can only go so far before we snap. And then there's nothing that can hold us back..." His eyes teared up for a moment. "If I don't survive this day... take care of her for me. I don't know what she'll do if I'm gone."

Luna's stomach dropped when she realized what he was implying. She faced him and glared menacingly.

"Don't you dare do that," Her voice calm, yet her eyes gold with rage. "We're all walking out of this alive. We're gonna take her down. We're gonna secure the Relics. Everyone's gonna finally be able to live their lives in peace. And in 70 years, we're all going to look back on this day with pride, because we defeated the worst evil in existence, and made the world a safe place for our children and grandchildren, and the many generations to come. So don't you DARE ask that of me!"

Diego wasn't sure how to react to his friend's outburst, either positively or negatively. Never had he seen someone so confident, so determined to stay alive despite all odds. It amused him, as well as scared him somewhat.

"How can you be so sure?" he finally asked. "You have no means of predicting the future, no idea how this will end! For all you know, this could go south for all of us. So what makes you think we'll survive?"

"I don't know," She responded without hesitation. "But I've told you many times before: I'm not dying until I am damn good and ready. And even then, in times like this, someone has to have hope. And I have hope because I believe in all of us."

Her eyes were full of fear of the unknown and what could go down this night, but she stood tall, ready to fight for her life and those of everyone she cared about. It took a few seconds, but eventually Diego let out a loud laugh.

"Luna Greyback," he chuckled, "I don't believe I've ever seen a finer warrior with such confidence." He looked down at the Grimm army down below. "There is one thing I can say though, in the off-chance that you're wrong: If I'm going down, I'm taking as many of these creeps with me as possible!"

With a loud, "Alioop!" he launched himself down towards the thick of the Grimm, cackling like a madman or simply someone who was having WAY too much fun. A large grin grew on the she-wolf's face, her gold eyes turning wild.

"Hell fucking yeah!" She exclaimed, charging into battle right behind her comrade.

* * *

 **Next up, the final battle! Or at least for the one Remnant. The other one... well, let's see if Volume Six comes out anytime soon. XD**

 **Hope you enjoyed and I'll cya in the next chapter! Buh bye!**


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